Only Thirty Days
by Allstarry707
Summary: Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.
1. Day 0

**Only Thirty Days  
><strong>**Summary: **Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own PJO…

**A****/****N: **Hello! This is just a little something that came to mind, and I decided to throw it together into a story. I hope you enjoy (:

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><p><strong><span>Only Thirty Days<span>  
><strong>

**Chapter 1  
>Day 0.<strong>

**Percy's POV**

Everyone loves Fridays, right? At least any kid with a brain does, no offense to anyone who doesn't love Fridays, but I sure as hell do. I can sit back, relax, maybe chill with some friends, go on a date. Who am I kidding, I don't go on dates on a Friday. Normally, I would hang out with Annabeth, her being my best friend, but nah, that doesn't happen now that she has _another _boyfriend. Yeah, that's what happens when your best friend is smokin' hot. And, that's also what happens when you don't stand a chance with your best friend. But this Friday, this Friday was different. Annabeth was actually making time for me. I know, weird that she had to make time for her best friend, but hey, I can't complain about something like that.

I was sitting on my couch, anticipating one of our old Fridays: Annabeth and I would eat dinner, watch a movie, and then one of us would fall asleep during it. This time, I was hoping that neither of us fell asleep so I picked out something scary, Dora the Explorer. I'm just playing you; I picked out Quarantine 2. But knowing Annabeth, she would probably be telling me about how people wouldn't just start eating each other and how it was so close to rabies. Then she'd hit me when I wasn't paying attention, and I'd grin telling her that-

"Percy, there's someone here for you," my mom yelled up the stairs, causing me get off my bed, mildly excited. More than anything else, I was nervous to be reunited with Annabeth after all that time.

I tumbled down the stairs, wearing sweats and a t shirt. It was what Annabeth and I normally would wear on a Friday night. So when I rounded the landing of my stairs, I froze, catching her in a grey mini dress, tighter than anything I'd ever seen her in before. _Why did my best friend have to be so hot and totally out of my league? _"Let me know when you're done drooling, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth teased, after thanking my mom for letting her in.

After I casually wiped my mouth, _hey I had to make sure I wasn't drooling, alright; _I bounded down the stairs, grabbing Annabeth around the waist for a hug. She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck, and I spun her up off the ground, happy to get to touch her again, _and no, don't take that the __wrong way._

"Put me down!" Annabeth shrieked, laughing into my neck. I could feel her hot breath against me and couldn't help but wish it was her lips.

"What? What did you say?" I pretended not to hear her, like I would do before, when she didn't say please to me.

"Percy," she began slapping my back, causing me to move from my rooted spot, only to make her scream louder: "PUT ME DOWN!"

"Eh em," I hauled her up over my shoulder, making it easier to carry her. "I don't think I heard that correctly. What did you say?"

"Percy," her voice was way too nice to be sincere, "put me down," I stopped spinning her, waiting for the magic word, "please." It was more of a growl than anything else from her, but still, I threw her onto the couch, taking the seat next to her. "I'm wearing a dress, dammit!" It wasn't until now that I looked down, seeing that Annabeth's dress was even higher than before. She pushed my head in the other direction, before fixing her dressing as I groaned, rubbing my cheek. "You are such a big baby," she rolled eyes before kissing my cheek, her lips lingering on it.

"I'm the baby?" she rest her head on my shoulder, putting her legs in my lap. I couldn't help but wrap my arm around her waist, like how we would before she started dating all of her boyfriends.

_**Flashback.**_

_Annabeth lay her head on chest; she was sitting on my lap, my hand around her waist and on her thigh. This was a typical Friday for us, and I wouldn't change it for a thing. We were watching Saw, and Annabeth, I'm pretty sure, had missed half the movie, hiding her head in my shirt. Anytime that she was watching, she'd scream, practically in my ear, and yeah, this was number what 25? "You're going to make me go deaf in my right ear," I rubbed her back, trying to calm her down._

"_Shut up," but this time it was only halfhearted from her. She was still shaking from the movie so I held her tighter._

"_Annabeth, it's just a movie," and yeah, I know, great way to make her feel better._

"_I'm not stupid Seaweed Brain," she rolled her eyes but still held onto me for dear life._

"_Alright, well I'll just go to the kitchen or something. Cut up some onions and-"_

"_Fine," she huffed, holding onto a handful of my shirt, "I'm scared, happy now?"_

"_Of course I am," she slapped my chest before hiding back into it from the TV, jumping from all the blood and gore. "Since when was Annabeth Chase such a wimp?" Come on, it wasn't every day I got to tease my best friend about it._

"_I am not a wimp." She re-situated herself in my lap so that she was sitting up straight._

"_Oh yeah?" I raised my eyebrows, not at all convinced, "Then what was all that screaming for?"_

"_I was surprised," she crossed her arms in front of her chest, causing me to look there quickly. I think she loved torturing me because her tank-top was really thin and tight against her. It didn't leave much to the imagination, unlike her sweatpants._

"_Surprised," I spat back, "more like scared the crap out of you."_

"_Was not." This girl would never agree with me even when I was right, which with her, wasn't often._

"_Then...," I noticed that she was still shaking, "why are you shaking so much? Huh?" Booya, I've got this one under my belt._

"_Because..." I could tell she was thinking by the way she bit her lip, her eyes looking out into space, "I'm cold."_

"_Wow that's best you can do," I put my hands behind my head, leaning back as if I had already won, "because that's what a wimp would say."_

"_I am no wimp," she practically growled at me. Which thinking back on it now, if we hadn't been in eighth grade, that would have been pretty damn sexy._

"_Annabeth Chase," I paused for dramatic effect, "the WIMP."_

"_Oh yeah?" She narrowed her eyes, her nostrils flaring. I wasn't sure if she was angry or what, but looking into her grey eyes, I saw a glint of mischief that told me that I was in for a surprise. "Well, Percy Jackson," her eyebrows were raised threateningly, "would a wimp do this?"_

_And that, that was when Annabeth Chase, my best friend, gave me the gift of my first kiss. I don't know if I was doing anything right because Annabeth seemed to be leading me instead of me leading her. Her lips were soft against mine, like a baby's bottom. Joking, I'd never kiss a baby's bottom in my life. Just gross. Okay Percy, catch a grip and focus on the damn kiss. It wasn't any of those hot movie kisses where the girl attacks the guy into a make out session or the other way around, (that was what I was expecting for my first kiss to be,) but instead it was softer and maybe even could be called sweet. She had her arms around my neck and mine didn't drift away from her waist. I have no idea how long it was, but she pulled away smirking at me, not at all seeming phased by the kiss._

"_Yeah, I didn't think so," she raised her eyebrows, challenging me to deem her a wimp again. Annabeth My-Best-Friend Chase, yeah she was no wimp. But from that moment on, I knew for sure that I could never like her again as only a best friend._

_**End of Flashback.**_

"Isn't this where you would kiss me if we were eighth graders," I watched for her expression, but it was completely blank. Sometimes she's hard to read. "Oh wait, I forgot. Since we're in high school now, you have boyfriends. Too many for anyone to keep track off. Has your facebook status even been set as single for a week now?" _I know, that's a low blow for someone who's my best friend._

She sighed, lifting her head off my chest to look at me curiously, "Percy, we're seniors. What am I supposed to do? Not date anyone?"

_No, you're supposed to date me. _"Yeah, that's right." Alright, so maybe I didn't say what I was thinking.

"Percy, Annabeth," my mom called again, from the dining room this time, "dinner's ready." Great, my mom knew how to ruin a moment with dinner. Annabeth practically leaped off me and headed into the dining room, me following behind her.

Even though there was conversation going on, I zoned out into my food. There was no point in me paying attention as my mom was doing the normal" "Oh Annabeth it's so nice to see you again." "I've missed seeing you." "How have you been?" "How's school?" Yada. Yada. Yada. It was nothing I hadn't heard before so I felt no need to even tune into it. The only thing that did snap be back to my attention was when my mom said, "Annabeth, dear, I would have expected to see you more since you and Percy are together now."

_Woe, wait where did my mom get that? Even though I wish that it were true... _I could tell Annabeth was thinking the same thing when she shot a glance my way, "Um, no Mrs. Jackson. Percy and I were never together."

"Oh," my mom looked between Annabeth and I, quizzically, "I thought that you guys were since you always acted like a couple when you were here."

"Couple?" I almost choked on my food, not sure why mom thought Annabeth and I acted like a couple.

"Yes, Percy," my mom patted my hand, from the head of the table, "whenever I would pop my head in to check up on you guys, Annabeth would always be sitting on your lap, and you guys would always be touching in some way. Sometimes, I even caught you guys kissing. From what I know, that's how a couple acts, at least how they did in my days."

"That's still how they act these days, Mrs. Jackson," Annabeth was acting all polite again, smiling and everything. "But I can assure you, Percy and I are nothing more than best friends." _Yeah, that gets mistaken for a couple by not just my mom but even our friends. Doesn't even matter how I feel about you._

**…**

After dinner, I popped the DVD in, sitting next to Annabeth on the couch. She put her legs in my lap again while wrapping her arms my neck. _Gods, we do act like a couple. _I put one arm around her waist, using the other hand to flip through the previews.

She continued our conversation, or what I thought was the conversation before we ate dinner. "You've dated girls too, Percy," she seemed to say it with distaste, but I couldn't be sure if that was distaste I heard in her voice or not. I figured that it wasn't and shrugged it off. "We're not in eighth grade anymore," it was barely a whisper and I figured she was thinking back to when it was easy and simple. _Not like that kiss meant anything to her in eighth grade like it did to me. I bet that wasn't even her first kiss._

"I dated one girl, and that was-" I trailed off, knowing that I couldn't tell her that it was only to make her jealous, which didn't even work in the end. "Yeah, I know, those were the days," I shook my head, remembering how back then, in eighth grade, nothing came between Annabeth and I. Back then, she didn't date anyone, and I was perfectly happy with that. But, I guess that all changes when you enter high school.

"What was so great about then?" She asked, watching me with what looked like anticipation. Her stormy grey eyes met mine, and I felt myself starting to lose myself in them.

_You didn't have a boyfriend. _"You actually wore sweats to these Friday movies, like you were supposed to." _Yeah, sure, that's what was so great._

"Sorry.." she seemed lost in thought, her eyes going unfocused. "I planned to wear sweats, really-"

"But." There was always a but with Annabeth these days, and generally it was followed by some excuse about one of her boyfriends.

"But," she sighed, focusing back on me again, "Luke wanted to meet me," _Oh great, your good-for-nothing-football-playing boyfriend, _"and I thought I'd look nice-"

"This night was _supposed _to be about us." And it was true, that's what she told me earlier in school, before heading off to meet with Luke for lunch.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, looking down at her dress, "it's just that..." She took a deep breath, and to me, it looked like she was trying to calm herself, "Luke broke up with me." I know I should have felt sorry for her, but I didn't. I only wished that she had dumped his sorry ass. "But it doesn't matter why," she smiled up at me, leaning her chin on my chest, "that leaves more time for us, right?"

"Yeah," I laughed uneasily, not used to Annabeth being this close to me anymore. It had been months since we had a Friday night movie hang out. _And also, if I look down at her, I know that she'll wind up kissing me or I'll wind up kissing her._ "Just like old times."

"Seaweed Brain?" She questioned, causing me to gaze down at her, my eyes locked on her lips. I nodded, and she licked her lips, to me it came off as her licking them _really_ slowly, all for my benefit, before biting her bottom lip and releasing it. _Gods, she is utter torture. _I couldn't do anything but nod to her in response. "I couldn't have asked for a better best friend."

"Right back at ya, Wise Girl," I gave her a half smirk, something I had perfected over the years through middle school and high school.

"I've missed you calling me that," she whispered under her breath, before leaning up to kiss me. Sure, we seemed to kiss, _a lot, _every time that one of her and her boyfriends broke up with her, but that was just a part of our friendship that we shared. And isn't that what all best friends do that are girls and guys? Though this kiss, this kiss was different in that it brought me back to eighth grade as she weaved her arms around my neck, and I let my hands slip to her waist, again not letting them move from her waist. Even though Annabeth was the only girl I had ever kissed, I liked to think that I had gotten better at kissing over the years. Not that I had many opportunities, but somehow Annabeth and I always wound up together, in some way, shape, or form, after she and her boyfriend would break up. But after that short time of their break up, my 'relationship' with Annabeth would end before it even officially began. And her relationship with the new guy? Yeah, that would begin the same day mine ended with her.

Although this time, when she pulled back, smiling lightly before resting her head on my chest, I knew that I wouldn't let her slip away to be with a new boyfriend. And the only way that I would ever allow it, the only way would be if that guy was me. In thirty days, that would be all I needed to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start off right, this day is 'Day 0,' and that leaves me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine.

**...**

**December 23 ~ Day 0.  
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><p><strong>AN: Okay, so I guess I'll explain a little bit about this story. Basically, Annabeth and Percy were pretty much inseparable, until Annabeth began getting boyfriends in high school. All the way up their senior year, Annabeth would run to Percy after a break up and use him as comforting friend, with benefits. But, what happens when Percy decides he wants it to be more?**

**Anyways, this story I won't be updating as quickly as **_**Chase's Pain,**_** so if you need anything to tie you over for the time that I'm not updating this, then you can go to that, if you'd like. But that of course is if you guys want me to continue writing this story?**

**If enough people want me to continue it, then I will. Otherwise, this story will go to the wayside. What do you think? Tell me in a review if you want to see this story continue or not?**

**Thanks for reading! **

**~ Jam.**


	2. Day 1

**Only Thirty Days  
><strong>**Summary: **Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: **_Dancergirl, Payton, booklover484, Percabeth4711, its just me, fireballer23, AthenaGray15, The Moonlit Waters, Sapphire-Zebra, Ignis Daemon, _and lastly _Zac.  
>.<em>**Disclaimer: **I don't own PJO…

**A/N: **So, thank you so much for the 12 people that reviewed. For you guys, I shall continue this story. And wow, I updated it faster than I thought I would.

**Here we go, guys and gals.**

**xx**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 2<span>  
><strong>

**Day 1.**

"Nico since when were you into the holiday spirit?" I clapped his shoulder, following him to his kitchen where he had an array of Christmas cookies, as well as Hanukkah cookies on different platters. To say the least, Nico did not seem like the type of person to bake cookies, much less holiday themed cookies. _Maybe Halloween cookies, as long as they were real gory._

"I'm not," he grabbed a bowl of chips, joggling another plate of cookies. "This is something Bianca always loved, a Christmas Eve party, so I figured I'd keep the tradition alive, you know." He walked out towards the living room, where he already had a cooler filled with soda.

I followed, grabbing the rest of the cookies and a bowl of cheese puffs, "Oh yeah, I forgot. Dude, I'm sorry about that." Last year, Nico's sister, Bianca, had died leaving our homecoming football game. She was a cheerleader, a senior, and it just so happened that when she was leaving, a drunk partier ran into her car, smashing it to oblivion. The guy survived, but Bianca wasn't so lucky. It put Nico into an even bigger slump and gloomy mood than he normally was in.

"It's alright. She'd just love it," he shook his head, placing the bowls down, before pointing where to put mine. "So," he jumped onto his couch, "I saw Annabeth's Facebook status. She and Luke called it quits."

"Yeah," I drummed the table after setting the food down, knowing where Nico was about to go.

"She using you again yet?" Nico had no problem being blunt.

"She doesn't use me," I turned, leaning against the table.

"Ha," it seemed more manacle than anything, as the smile didn't reach Nico's eyes, "that's what you call it when she's all over you after a break up? You know, 'friends with benefits.'"

"Co-"

"Nah, it gets even better." Nico smirked, "Right when the next guy comes along, she dumps you like you were nothing. But no wait, even better than that, you're practically in love with the girl."

"I don't love her," I sat in an arm chair, slumping down lower. Maybe Nico didn't get it, but I wasn't in love with Annabeth, "and I'm fine with her and me just being best friends." _Yeah right, I'm not fine with it._

"Yeah sure," he scoffed, "I don't see you and Thalia making out anytime she gets dumped or dumps someone."

"That's just gross, alright, I'd never kiss Thalia," I began drumming the arms of the chair this time, wanting to do anything but have this conversation. "Look, I've got it this time, alright."

Nico shook his head, standing up, "That's what you always say Perce, right before she does it again and dumps you. I love Annabeth, but I just don't get why you put up with it. For you, I do hope it's different because I'm not gonna be the one telling you maybe next time anymore." He left towards the door, after noticing someone coming towards his front porch.

What Nico said was true, this happened a lot with Annabeth and me, but I knew it would be different. _This time, it had to be different._

"Hey," Nico said. I turned my head to see him hug a blonde then head nod at a girl with black hair.

_Well, I guess there is nothing better than Day 1 to start._

She stood there, talking to Thalia and Nico, having not seen me in the armchair. I stood, clearing my throat a bit loudly, which of course made Thalia roll her eyes, looking between Annabeth and I. But when Annabeth turned her head, her grey eyes lit up, and she smiled at me causing me to give her a half grin back. "Hi," I stated, nodding my head back and forth, feeling nervous.

"That's all you're going to do to welcome me?" Annabeth started walking towards me, her black jeans hugging her tightly.

"Depends," I swallowed, ignoring how low cut her grey shirt was that peaked out from under her jacket, "is that all you want?"

She rolled her eyes, stopping a foot in front of me, "Well, is that all _you _want Seaweed Brain? A head nod?"

"No," _I might as well be honest_, "How bout I flip you 'deuces'" I nodded my head saying that word, "too?"

"Gods, you are such a Seaweed Brain," she laughed before closing the gap between us, to kiss me. As fast as her lips were on mine, they came off just as quick, her now hugging me as I lifted my arms to her waist. I wasn't even able to register what her kiss tasted like.

"Right back at ya, Wise Girl," I whispered into her ear, pulling her against me.

"I missed you," she mumbled. But that I didn't get. We had just seen each other yesterday, yet I had a feeling she wasn't just talking about yesterday. "You didn't text me," she pulled away, far enough to slap my chest, "or call me."

"I was supposed to?" I'm pretty sure my face looked just as confused as I was feeling. It had been over a month since we called each other and texted everyday like we would do, before she started dating Luke.

"Yeah you were; it's what we always do," she turned around, her back now to me, but my hands remained on her waist, "Coat?" She finished unbuttoning it, and I pulled it off her, letting my hands slide down her shoulders longer than need be. "Thanks," she turned, resting her forehead on my forehead, a slight smile on her face.

"What I'm here for," I said, feeling pretty smooth with that line.

"Don't try to be smooth," she rolled her eyes, before quickly kissing me again and grabbing her coat. I had to shake my head to realize that she had gone to hang up her coat. _Gods, that girl had an effect on me_, to say the least.

"Hey-" I called after her, only to be stopped by Thalia.

"Percy," Thalia gave me a looking saying we needed to have a talk, and it couldn't wait, "help me go grab some plates."

"Uh, ok," I shot Annabeth a glance, only to get an apologetic smile from her seeing as she knew how badly talks between Thalia and I normally ended. _Well, this won't end well,_ I shook my head, following Thalia into the kitchen.

"So, playing with Annabeth again," she thrust the plates into my arms, grabbing more to pile them on.

_Woe, wait what? Since when did I play with Annabeth? _"Alright, what the hell are you talking about?"

Thalia grunted, putting more plates in my hands, "Every time Annabeth has a break up, you start using her. Then, you get all pissed when she finally moves on from being used by you."

"Alright, woe, you've got it all wrong," I put the plates on the counter, "I don't play with Annabeth, alright? If anything sh-"

"No, Percy," Thalia, grabbed a stack of napkins, walking past me, "don't blame this on Annabeth again, because it sure isn't her fault. Whether or not you get it, you're just as at fault as Annabeth is, if not more. So you know what, I don't want to have to hear about it this time from her. Got it?" She stalked out the kitchen not even waiting for a response.

_That makes no sense, _I grabbed the plates, leaving the kitchen, _Annabeth was always the one to start everything then move on with a new boyfriend.. And what would there be for Thalia to hear about? _I shook my head, placing the plates down to sit next to Annabeth on the couch. She immediately curled into my side while I placed my arm around her waist.

"Hey Perce," my best friend Grover called from the arm chair to my left. He was already eating what looked like seven cookies out of his hands: normal Grover for ya.

"G-Man," I put out my left hand out to get a high five from him, "where's Juniper?" I looked around, noticing that everyone was here now: Nico, Thalia, Grover, Piper, Jason, Leo, and of course Annabeth and myself. Well, everyone except for Juniper, the Stolls, and Katie.

"Well," he slapped my hand, getting cookie crumbs all over it, "she doesn't celebrate any of this stuff, so she didn't come. I tried to convince her, but then she said her parents didn't want her to go. She practically lives in the woods, not celebrating any of these holiday seasons." He talked while chewing his cookies, "Anyone want me to toss them a cookie?"

To that no one replied, and I turned to Nico, "What happened to the Stolls and Katie?"

"Couldn't make it," he shrugged, grabbing a couple of DVDs. "Alright, let's keep with the tradition," I could tell he looked sadder mentioning the tradition we had done while Bianca was alive, "we play some movies while eating cookies and chips, and then we watch some movies while eating pizza. Oh yeah, cleaning duty this year is Jason, Leo, Thalia, and Grover." He put in _The Last Airbender_, after finishing his mini speech.

"You know Seaweed Brain," Annabeth whispered to me, not removing her eyes from the screen, "I've never understood why we all still watch a kid movie at the beginning of this party. No matter whose house it is, it's always some sort of kid movie."

"Hey," I smirked down at her, "you calling me a kid because I like this movie?" But I knew what she meant, it had become a sort of tradition that we always did, and no one questioned it. Yet, here was Annabeth questioning that very sacred tradition.

"I'm serious," she frowned, looking up at me, "don't you ever wish that we did things differently? Not the same pattern over and over again?"

I shrugged, feeling that there was something nice about not changing, "Nah, I like keeping these things like this."

She stared at me for a few seconds, shaking her head still having the frown on her face, "I guess that's why things never change." Annabeth sighed, looking back at the screen, moving away from me.

By the end of the movie, she had positioned herself on the other side of the couch, looking like she wanted to be on another planet, as long as she was away from me. _Weird._ Every time I thought she might be looking at me, I looked over, only to see her glaring at the TV, the expression never changing. I don't know what I did, but I obviously did something, and it lasted like that throughout the next movie we watched. During it, I decided that I'd move over next to Annabeth, thinking it was some game or something, but she would simply move further away. By the time she could move no longer and I was next to her, she excused herself from the room to go to the bathroom, coming back to sit on a completely different couch than me. _I will never understand that girl._

It wasn't long till the doorbell rang, and the pizza arrived. Nico stopped the movie we were watching, _I have no idea what it was since I was paying attention to Annabeth,_ and we all stretched, before going in for a piece. But instead of jumping in for a piece, I stood up, watching as Annabeth reached out for her normal plain cheese piece. When going for it, her hair, which looked straightened, fell into her face, causing her to push it back, though it wouldn't stay behind her ear like she wanted causing her to fuss.

"Here, I got it," I grabbed a plate for her, taking the piece of pizza out of her hand to put it down. She blew her hair out of her face, watching me with her eyebrows raised, looking amused. Not wanting to have an awkward staring match go on with her, I grabbed a plate and piece for myself before cocking my head towards the couch. Sitting down, I waited for her to take a seat next to me, but she was rooted to the spot where she stood before, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "Alright, that's cool. I'll just eat the pizza myself."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, taking the seat next to so she could grab her plate. We ate in silence.

Alright, so maybe that's an exaggeration, but everyone else was talking except for Annabeth and I. Leo, Jason, and Piper were chilling on another couch while Grover offered to eat Thalia and Nico's pizza. And then, there was Annabeth and I. Total, and complete, silence. _Great._

_This is what I call awkward._ "So.." I bit into my pizza, clearing my throat.

Nothing, yeah, Annabeth said nothing, while she continued to eat her pizza. Alright, I saw how it was. For some reason, she was avoiding me, and I had to get her to start talking.

"Good pizza, eh?" - No response. "Yeah, I like it too." - Not even a glare. "Well, I didn't want to go here," she gave her pizza a weird look that I'm assuming was for me but didn't look at me still, "there's a spider on your pizza."

"Oh my gods," Annabeth practically dropped her pizza on the floor, but thankfully the plate went with it or else Annabeth would kill me and force me to clean it up. When she finally looked down at the pizza, shaking, she slapped me, "there was no spider."

Alright, so maybe I was laughing the whole time and deserved the slap but still, "Ow," I rubbed my arm. "That's definitely not cool." Stretching it out, I smoothly lay it around her waist, pulling her into me.

"Let go," she huffed, pushing against the side of my chest.

"Hey," I poked her side, causing her to be wiggle, "that's no way to treat your savior." At that she rolled her eyes and finally stopped hitting and pushing me away. "But seriously, why wouldn't you talk to me before?"

"It doesn't matter," she looked down at her hands that now rested in my lap. _Not that I had a problem with them being in my lap._

"It does matter," I mumbled, repeating what she just said. I pressed my lips against the top of her head, breathing in her scent. It reminded me of lavender and a library. Maybe a book about lavender. "You're my best friend, and that's all that matters, alright?"

"I know, Perce." She sighed, resting her head against my chest before putting her legs into my lap, "That's how it's always been."

"You say it like that's a bad thing," I frowned, seeing that she appeared to be in deep thought.

"No, it's not that it's a bad thing," she looked confused as her hair fell in front of her face again, "it's just that- no, there's nothing wrong with being best friends, Seaweed Brain. It's what we've always been," I moved the hair out of her face, stroking her cheek with my thumb; she smiled sadly, "and it's what we'll always be." _Always be? Not if I had my way._

"Yeah, sure," I mumbled, before acting without thinking and leaning down to kiss her.

Unlike the two times earlier today, I was able to actually taste the kiss. It was something close to gingerbread coffee and the refreshing taste of candy cane, mingled with something that was only Annabeth. I couldn't help but wonder if Annabeth liked kissing me as much as I did her; she sure had kissed her fair share of guys, and some of them were probably better kissers than me, but there was something about kissing Annabeth that always warmed me, no matter where we were, whether hot or cold. It wasn't something like heat, but it was a different warmth, like happiness, contentedness. That feeling that could 'curl your toes,' _though that's never happened to me,_ that feeling that just made everything right and made me forget that we were in a room with a bunch of our friends.

Or that is, I forgot that until I felt Annabeth smiling against my lips before pulling away by pressing her hands against my chest. It wasn't until then that I registered all the gazes that we directed towards us, some smirks, others surprised, and well, then there was Grover who was trying to grab for Annabeth's piece of pizza.

"Well, well," Thalia glared at me, as if I had cause the entire thing. _Okay, well I guess I had,_ "if you guys are done sucking off each other's faces, then we would like to begin the movie."

"Oh yeah, Thalia, like you couldn't start it beforehand," I stated matter-of-factually, buying myself a harder glare from Thalia and a concerned look from Annabeth between Thalia and myself.

"Well, sorry Kelp Head," Thalia sneered, "if I actually care about my friends, unlike you."

"I don't care about my friends? You seriously think I don-"

"Alright, enough," Nico stood up, standing between my sight of Thalia, "whatever is going on with you guys, just get over it for the day. This is supposed to be a stupid, happy time that Bianca would like. If you guys want to rough it out, then get the hell out of my house and stop ruining stuff for everyone."

It was silent. No one had ever seen Nico seem so calm yet angry, especially not towards Thalia who everyone knew Nico was 'fond' for and never said anything harsh towards. But this time, he obviously wasn't having anyone mess up the day he had planned for Bianca, even though she couldn't be there to celebrate it with everyone. Since no one contested him, Nico went on to start playing the movie, "Just get over this stuff and like the movie because not everything lasts, alright?"

I can't say it was the most enjoyable party after that. Everyone seemed to be standing on thin ice, and Annabeth wouldn't do anything more than lean up against me not even kiss or embrace me. Though, I guess I shouldn't be complaining because it was the longest I had been close to my best friend since she had her new line of boyfriends. And honestly, I had no idea how much I missed just having Annabeth near me and in my arms. Though at the same time, it ended all too quickly when 11:45 pm came, and Nico was telling us all that it was time to go except for the cleanup crew.

Annabeth stood up first, saying her byes to everyone and embracing them all. Watching her, I stood up next, feeling awkward not having Annabeth near me anymore. _Gods, what am I doing, we're not even together?_ Doing my usual, I went over to Grover, pounding him, before grabbing one of the cookies in his hand.

"So, what up with you and Thalia?" Grover murmured to me, making sure that Thalia wasn't in earshot. She was too busy talking to Piper and Annabeth to pay attention, in a conversation that looked heated and animated.

"Don't know," I ran my hand through my hair, watching the way Annabeth's whole demeanor lit up as she threw her head back, laughing. _Gods, I've missed seeing her laugh._

"Has to do with Annabeth doesn't it," Grover looked to where my attention was focused, spotting Annabeth.

"Probably," I broke my gaze away from her, addressing him, "Thalia has some weird idea in her head that I'm using Annabeth. It's far out though and far from the truth."

Grover shook his head, before heading towards the door, "Perce, maybe it's not as easy as one of you using the other. Maybe it's a joint thing. But hey, don't listen to me. I'm out," he put his hand up as he walked out the door, only to be pulled back in by Jason, catching Grover before he could skip out of cleaning duty.

Since Annabeth and I were about to be the only people left in the room, I walked over to her, putting my arms around her waist, "I'll drive you home?" I whispered into her neck, feeling her shiver against me. _Must have been the draft from the door being opened._

"Mm," she contemplated, as I grabbed her jacket, helping her to shrug it on, "I'm going to have to opt out of that." She turned towards me, pouting slightly while she buttoned up the coat.

"C'mon," I threw my head back, groaning, while my hands rested on her waist. "I'll drive ten miles under the speed limit so you don't freak out or anything," I tried bargaining with her.

"Ha," she chuckled, knowing that I liked to push the speed limit, "that's really nice to know that you would actually abide by the laws, but Thalia's my ride already."

"So, you're saying you're dumping me for Thalia?" I frowned, attempting to give her a face she couldn't resist nor reject.

"Yes," she smirked, _I guess that face wasn't good enough,_ before lacing her hands around my neck, "Thalia is quite a catch for a best friend."

"Wow, so now I've been replaced, Wise Girl?" I shook my head, letting fake sadness etch my face.

"Oh yes, Thalia is a much better best friend than you. She," she stopped, to step out of my embrace and walk towards the door, "actually calls and text me, like she's supposed to."

"Ha, I can do that," I followed her to the door that she was now holding open for me. "Sure you don't want a ride home from me?" I was back to all seriousness.

She smiled slightly, "I don't think that's a great idea," she continued before I could protest, "as Thalia doesn't seem happy with you, and I don't think it would be smart to ditch her for the person she's mad at."

"Alright," I groaned, knowing that I couldn't convince Annabeth to stay, "well, I'll talk to you later then?" I ran my hand through my hair, pushing it out of my face, connecting my green eyes with her grey.

"You better, Seaweed Brain, and don't forget to do it," she smirked, biting her bottom lip as she waved to watch me go. "Oh and Percy," she stopped me, halfway out the door, "it's twelve now..." She blushed, looking away from my gaze as if embarrassed, "so Merry Christmas," she looked down from my eyes quickly, before kissing my cheek. She waved, a smile, as well as a slight blush, on her face, before closing the door.

"Merry Christmas, Wise Girl," I whispered to the now closed door, even though I knew Annabeth could no longer hear me. It was cold while I walked towards my car. As the snow crunched under my feet, I didn't give it notice, feeling the heat that radiated off the place where Annabeth's lips had just been. I fumbled with the keys in my hand, finally able to stick them in the keyhole and unlock the Camry.

When I closed the car door, having gotten in it, I grabbed my phone out of my jeans pocket, unlocking it to start a text.

_To: Wise Girl (;_

_Merry Christmas._

**…**

**December 24 ~ Day 1.**

**…**

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><p><strong>AN: Alright, so I decided that I would start dating the days, and they will be consecutive, so it will go 25<strong>**th****, 26****th****, 27****th****, etc. Anyways, I updated faster than I thought I would.**

**I know it's not my best work, but what do you guys think? Have any suggestions? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear 'em.**

**~ Jam.**

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><p><strong>Review Replies:<strong>

_Dancergirl – Alright, I will continue it! :)_

_Payton – Aw, thank you so much. Yes, I shall continue it._

_Booklover484 – Haha, thank you. I hope this is soon enough. I was reading some other fanfics, and it made me want to update this fanfic rather badly. So, here I am. Yes, I do hope to update that soon also._

_Percabeth4711- Aw, thank you! Is this a good amount of time for you? As for what you count as soon?_

_its just me – Wow, what a coincidence! It's actually funny that happened and here I am writing a friends with benefits story. Yes, but it has also made him more determined. Man, it always seems that I have Annabeth toying with Percy's heart. Haha, sorry about last time, I shall try not to._

_Fireballer23 – Yeah, that would be some very nice drama there. Well, by updating are you referring to Chase's Pain? Because, I have not updated this story before, so what were you referring to?_

_AthenaGray15 – Aw, thanks! This is me updating (;_

_The Moonlit Waters – Aw, thank you! Yeah, I actually updated this sooner than I thought I would._

_Sapphire-Zebra – I'm happy you love it! Okay, I will!_

_Ignis Daemon – Haha, thank you. Wow, I must have accomplished something to make you call it cute. Aw, I'm happy that this makes you happy. I love provoking emotions from people with writing. And, aw thank you so much! Haha, I am continuing it, I say._

_Zac – Gosh, thank you! It really was just something I threw together, and I'm not quite sure where it's going to go._


	3. Day 2

**Only Thirty Days  
>Summary: <strong>Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: **_hi, AthenaGray15, Capw8543, Lulunoel, booklover484, Kiransomers, Justlooseit00, fireballer23, its just me, Miette in the Rain, enveope123, ReadingManiac98, dancedreamlove, maddy5534, Namaz, BeachBum13, hola, horselover98, CrazyStalkerChikc, TheCreekGirl348, (blank space), IAmTheThirteenthOlympian, Cobain, lory.  
><em>**Disclaimer: **I don't own PJO…

**A/N: **Okayy, so I've finally updated. I know, it's been what, almost three months? I really have been busy, and I know that I updated my other stories before this one. So, here I am updating this story; I hope it's long enough for you guys. If you need anything to hold you over for the next update, you could read some of my other stories or enjoy the great stories of all the other amazing author's out there on FF. Hah, that makes it sound like I won't be updating for a year – I don't plan on that, might I add. But, I will say that my March is very busy.

Anywho, so thank you to all, what, 28 or so, of you that reviewed? They really did make my day, and I'm so sorry that I haven't updated before now. I won't even get into my excuses. I hope to make it up with this longer chapter.

*I didn't proof read this; I'm really pressed for time and didn't want you guys to have to wait a day for this chapter. Won't make a habit of this.*

**Enjoy?**

**xx**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 3<span>**

**Day 2****.**

Normally, I'd spend Christmas with my mom and her fiancé, Paul, but I can't say that this was anything close to a normal Christmas. I was standing on the front porch, waiting for a door to open while my hands froze into ice phalanges. Alright, so maybe I should have worn more than a hoodie when it was snowing out, but that's just not how I roll. Plus, I didn't think I'd be standing on a front porch for so long. Right now, I'd normally be wearing some Santa Claus hat with my mom and her fiancé, laughing and talking about all the great things going on at the time. Then, we'd decide what restaurant to eat out at, but before that, we made sure to cook up a couple of blue cookies. What? I just like blue food, alright?

I knocked again, saying a few choice words under my breath. "Coming," I heard someone call before two short boys with matching blonde hair swung open the door. "Percy!" The door opened wider before they practically pulled me in; I guess I should mention that I'm pretty much a rock star to Annabeth's little brothers. It's actually kinda cool.

"Hey," I chuckled under my breath, before giving both of them a noogie. I'll be honest; I've missed the little guys. They could be pretty cool when they wanted and were pretty smart when it came to pranks.

"What do you say we run a prank?" Mathew grinned mischievously at me while rubbing his hands together, "We've been thinking of filling Annabeth's bras with –" At the mention of bras, I felt my face heat up. I mean, I've seen Annabeth in a bikini and all but seeing her bras would be a different story. I don't care what anyone says, but that's _way_ different.

"Don't you even dare," I heard the footsteps tumble down the stairs and the angelic voice that I could have placed from anywhere. Turning around, I met the stormy eyes of my best friend, who might I add, looked exceedingly hot in her 'ugly Christmas sweater.' She winked at me before addressing her brothers, "If you ever want to play on the Xbox again, I recommend you don't get in a mile radius of my room." Now, I can't say that Annabeth is the scariest person I've ever met, but when her hands settle on her hips and she fixes her gaze at you, she can be pretty intimidating; I felt bad for her brothers, to say the least. But at the same time, what can I say? It was attractive, alright?

Bobby groaned, "That's like not even in our house." Smart kid, I never even thought of how big a mile radius would be. I blame it on Annabeth and that sweater distracting me.

"Exactly" Annabeth smirked, before cocking her head towards the kitchen, "Christine wants you guys in the kitchen. Something about cookies…" She trailed off as her brothers pushed past her into the kitchen. Going with them, there were echoes of 'I get the green,' and dibs being called on the blue. "So," Annabeth turned towards me, leaning on the banister.

"So yourself," scratching my head, I took in the sight of her. I'll be honest, that was one of the ugliest Christmas sweaters I had ever seen; I bought it for her myself during freshman year. I figured she would have dumped it or something after all these years. Guess not. I don't even know why she chose to wear it today in the first place. "Nice sweater," I noticed her blush slightly before shooting me a glare.

"You told me that when a guy compliments your clothes, he's complimenting the way it looks on you," she mumbled the end, her face heating up even more than before. _Wonder why._

"Guilty as charged," I smirked before shuffling towards her. "But, I was complimenting my skills in buying ugly Christmas sweaters though, not how it looked on you." _Yeah right, I was talking about how it looked on her._

"Mhm," she rolled her eyes before embarking on her stairs, "yeah right, Seaweed Brain. I do have eyes, you know." She has eyes? What the heck does – Oh. Looks like I need to work on being less conspicuous. Next time, I won't check her out so obviously. "And if I could see it, I bet Mathew and Bobby did, too."

Following her up the stairs, I couldn't help but notice the _really_ short pair of grey shorts that she was wearing. The fact that they were grey made me smirk; of course she would have a pair of shorts that were grey, since that was her favorite color and all. I couldn't figure out why she was wearing them, though. It _was _winter, after all. "Mm," I muttered a sound of contentment as they rode up higher with each step she took. Sadly, the stairs ended all too soon, and she pulled them down as soon as she got onto the second floor of her house. I can't help that I have eyes and hormones, alright?

It felt like years since I've been in Annabeth's room. But looking at it, not much had changed; the walls were still covered in a pale grey, and it just felt like Annabeth. Each well had some form of bookshelf covering it, except for one. That one was covered in pictures which caught my eye. I didn't remember those being there before. While she plopped down on her bed, I went over to the wall of pictures, squinting. Each one was a picture of her and I, looking the happiest yet. Most of them were from years before, when she was still taller than me. Yet, there was one that stood out the most. Grinning, I saw the smile of Annabeth sitting next to me on the couch shoving a cookie in my mouth; it was from yesterday.

"Yeah," I almost jumped, hearing her voice again, "it's from yesterday, that picture. I've had all those pictures sitting around for a while and thought I should do something with them."

Turning around, I saw her greys watching me quizzically, "They're only of me." I had looked at every single picture there, and there was no one else in them. "Me and you."

"Yep," she popped the 'p' before lying back on her bed, "just you and I. How it's always been, right?" My heart dropped as the words echoed in my head like a continuous loop. It had never seemed to be her and I for all of four years now: the four years of high school. I don't know why it dropped, but a part of me just felt, well, sad, thinking of the times when she and I were practically inseparable. "Percy," she propped back on her elbows to look at me. I guess I hadn't said anything back to her, "that's how it's always going to be right?"

Her voice seemed to get softer at the end, as if not sure of herself. Now, I'll tell you one thing, right now. I had never seen Annabeth not be sure of herself. I mean, she was practically the most confident person I had ever met, yet here she was with an inkling of doubt. _Did I cause that doubt?_ "I – I" come on, why am I stuttering? I'll tell you why: I know I can't say that's how it's always going to be because it hasn't been like that for years now. "I don't know, Annabeth." Looking back at the pictures, I avoided seeing the sadness that I knew would fill her stormy grey eyes.

"Why aren't you sure?" It was barely a whisper that I wouldn't have caught if all my senses didn't seem heightened.

"You've had so many boyfriends," I paused, trying to control my voice from cracking, "and I don't know where I fall now. Sure, we say we're best friends, but look what's happened to you in high school. You – you," man, I keep stuttering around her. I need to get a grip and just tell her that – that. Okay, so I don't know what I want to say to her. I can't say that she's forgotten about me; I can't say that I've been waiting for her to realize that I'm here. I can't even think of what I _want_ to say.

"You don't get it," her voice was colder than I expected, "we're older, Percy. I'm not just going to sit around and become a cat lady while you decide what you want to do with…" She trailed off, and I can't even imagine what she planned to say to finish her thoughts. Maybe if my back weren't still to her, I would have known. Since it was, I may never know. "What about Calypso? You've never even told me why you guys broke up. Alright, you had a girlfri-"

"It's different," I felt the anger boiling inside of me, "you just don't get it, Annabeth!" Turning around, I saw the paleness that had covered her face. I never yelled at it; we never actually fought. This was probably just a sign of how the distance between us was growing; I hated knowing that we were starting to grow apart. Walking towards, I forced myself to calm down, "Calypso was nothing." It was true. While, yes, I dated Calypso, it was never the same feeling that I got from being around Annabeth.

She frowned for a second, breaking her gaze away from me, "She was your girlfriend. Did you…" Her voice dropped at the end, leaving me with no idea for what she said.

I don't know what gave me the courage to do it, but sitting next to her, I put my hand over hers. Hers felt so small and slender, different from mine. I willed my palms not to start sweating as I enclosed my hand around hers, bring it to my lips, kissing it. Watching her reaction, she diverted her head in the other direction, her cheeks taking a slight red tint. That seems to be happening a lot now around Annabeth and I; I guess I just make her uncomfortable. Sighing, I began, "Did I…?"

"Kiss her," she mumbled, her head still turned away from me. I don't know if she actually said that or not, or if I was imagining it or not, but why would she care? I mean, sure, I give hate every single guy that she's ever kissed, but that's because I like her as more than a best friend. However, Annabeth, like me as…? Nah, that couldn't be possible.

"Kiss her?" I repeated, setting our entwined hands down on her bed. Even though it was slight, I saw her head nod. "No." That was the truth. Although I had a girlfriend and knew that I was meant to kiss her, I couldn't bring myself to kiss Calypso, not when I knew that Annabeth would still be there. Not when I knew that the girl was not Annabeth. Now look, don't take this as being sweet or anything like that, but if I kissed a girl that wasn't Annabeth, I'd feel like I was cheating. I guess the same doesn't apply to Annabeth.

"I see," was her only response, before she sat up, eyes sparkling. An eyebrow cocked, a small smile spread across her face, making, well, you know, those uh butterflies, start moving in my stomach. There was just something nice about making Annabeth smile, even though I have no idea what I did. "Good."

"Good?" Why the heck would she say good? I mean, again, what difference does it make to her that I didn't kiss Calypso?

"Yeah, good," a Cheshire grin spread across Annabeth's features. It was then that I noticed how close we were sitting; I could count the number of light freckles that spread across her nose. They always spread whenever she smiled or laughed. I liked to think that I was the only person that noticed the light freckles that dotted her nose. Hearing my heart beat in my ears, I silently begged to anyone listening that she couldn't hear it. "So, why didn't you kiss Calypso?"

"Reasons," I muttered under my breath. When your face is only inches apart, muttering does not really do its job.

"I figured that, Seaweed Brain," her eyes rolled, before focusing on me once again. I noticed how there were speckles of lighter grey that seemed to match the walls behind her. "I was hoping you would tell me why, since that doesn't seem to be obvious."

I couldn't help but smirk. This was Annabeth, my best friend, and I just couldn't help it. It seems like I can't help a lot but do a lot of things around her yet I knew for sure that I wasn't going to tell her why I didn't kiss Calypso. I mean, how do you say to your best friend, 'oh, I just happen to have liked you for over four years, now.' This is how: "Just didn't." Alright, alright, that's not exactly the same thing, but it's pretty close, alright?

"Uh huh," her smirked echoed mine yet it seemed to hold a small amount of knowledge. "Does that mean I'm the only girl you've kissed?"

I fought back the urge to say something about how I wasn't the only guy she kissed; sometimes jealously rules its ugly head, and I can't help it, alright. "Yeah…" trailing off, I noticed how her lips were slightly parted as her tongue darted out to lick them, hastily. Those were the only lips that I had ever felt on mine, and if I'm being honest, they were the only ones that I ever needed and wanted to be on mine. Now for her, that's another story.

Looking back into her eyes, I noticed that there seemed to be a different light behind them, "That's…" She trailed off, her face moving closer to mine. It was so close that I went crossed eyed when I attempted to look at her lips again, "sweet." Her lips brushed again mine, in one of those barely there kisses. It was enough to make my brain melt into my head as she laid a hand on my cheek. Barely a centimeter apart, she mumbled "Sorry," or was it "Snoppy?" "Snoopy?" Alright, so maybe the much for brains didn't process it as her lips brushed against mine again: soft and sweet. Her hands slid behind my neck as she continued to skim her lips across mine, my hands falling to her waist. This was the reason why I hadn't kissed Calypso; Calypso, as soft as her lips may have been, could never have kissed me the same way Annabeth did. I don't think anyone ever could have kissed me the way that Annabeth did. Because quite simply, only Annabeth Chase could make me feel that way… Feel like… Like –

"Woe," Annabeth jumped away from me, our heads snapping to the door. _Crap._ "What was…?" Bobby stood there wide eyed as Mathew echoed the same look. I'm never going to get out of this. As great as Mathew and Bobby were, they could never keep things quiet for longer than ten seconds. Them seeing Annabeth and I kiss would soon mean that Mr. and Mrs. Chase would find out. Then, Mr. Chase would start giving me some lecture, and I would have to endure the questions about my intentions. Quite simply, I was screwed. "So, you're the reason Luke dumped Annabeth?" They must have seen the confused look on my face because Bobby kept talking, "Yeah, Luke dumped Annabeth 'cause she loved some other guy or somethin'."

Wait, Annabeth loved some other guy? Whoever the hell that guy was, I would need to take care of him. Glancing at Annabeth, she was practically as red as a tomato, "Mathew, Bobby, you need to learn how to keep your mouths shut." Standing, her cheeks still had a slight red tint on them.

"Yeah, well, you didn't give us anything to make us shut up," Mathew sneered, sticking his hand out and rubbing his index finger and thumb together. I didn't like where this was going. "So, what are you going to pay up to keep us silent? Cause, I bet Dad would be pissed when he found out you made out with Percy on your bed." _Aw shit, _I never even thought about how Mr. Chase would take that. I mean, he would probably figure out the most painful, and slowest, way to make me pay especially if he thought I was messing around with his 'little Annabeth.'

"What do you want…" I stood next to Annabeth, scratching the back of my head awkwardly. She shot me a, 'what're you doing look,' before I kept shrugged. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, "C'mon on guys, we're cool right?"

"Not that cool," Bobby smirked, "especially since you kissed that thing." He pointed his finger to Annabeth. "Dude, that's our sister." I chuckled, thinking of how they probably thought it was gross that I had kissed Annabeth. Since she was their sister, they probably didn't see how hot she was.

Rolling her eyes, Annabeth placed her hands on her hips impatiently, "What do you guys want?"

Both of them playing with their imaginable grins, the corners of their mouths turned upwards, "We want…" Mathew paused, looking around at everything in Annabeth's room, "the remote control boat." His gaze centered on the small, grey yacht that sat atop one of Annabeth's bookshelves.

"Woe," I shook my head, "I'll buy you guys two even better boats, alright? But, c'mon guys, I gave that to Annabeth years ago." It was one thing to basically blackmail us, but there was no way in hell they were gonna get the prized ship that I had _made_ for Annabeth myself. That thing took me practically a year to make.

"Throw in some spy gear, and you've got a deal," Bobby stuck his hand out while Mathew nodded in agreement.

"Deal," I shook their hand, grinning towards Annabeth as she simply buried her face in her hand. "Not too bad," I whispered towards her.

"C'mon Bobby, we just got spy gear and boats, and we still get to rat out Annabeth to dad," Mathew and Bobby ran down the stairs yelling out their dad's name. _What the hell just happened…_

Still shaking her head, Annabeth muttered, "You're such a Seaweed Brain." Alright, how was I supposed to know that Mathew and Bobby were that conniving? "You have to make the terms of the deal well-known before you shake hands." Walking out the door of her room, she simply rolled her eyes, turning around, "Let's just face my dad and get it over with, alright?"

**…**

I was pretty happy when we made it downstairs and Mathew and Bobby hadn't ratted us out. Turned out, they didn't want to risk me hating them just to get back at Annabeth. I guess being a legend to them has its perks. Grinning, I watched as all the Chase's gathered around their Christmas tree, opening presents. I missed having Mom and Paul around, but I wanted them to have a special Christmas; for a present, I saved up and gave them both a one-day get away. Paul already knew so it was no big surprise to him. On the other hand, my mom basically cried, continuously saying how her little boy was growing up, but she didn't want me to stay home alone on Christmas; so, she packed me up to hang out with the Chases. Did I mention I was sleeping over? When we were younger, Annabeth and I used to sleepover each other's houses, but that was before we really, well, became aware of the fact that we, well, we were boys and girls. You know, that it would be okay to think of each other as more than friends. You know, before you became aware that cooties didn't really exist. I'll be honest, I'm pretty nervous to spend the night again, even though I know nothing is going to _happen._ But, I doubt Mr. Chase will be gung-ho on me staying in the same room as Annabeth now that we're seniors. Plus, I can't control what I do in my sleep…

Noticing the grey eyes glancing in my direction, I grinned. Wearing a Christmas hat, Annabeth was the hottest Santa that I had ever seen. Her hair wasn't as straight as it had been yesterday so a few curls tucked out from under the hat, reflecting off the red, green, blue, as well as purple from the Christmas tree. She looked, quite simply, beautiful. Breaking my gaze from her face, I saw a small box in her hand as the other was gesturing me to come near. It was probably my Christmas present. The wrestling between Bobby and Mathew had stopped while Mr. and Mrs. Chase just grinned at the exchange between the two of us; I have a feeling they knew what was in that box.

Awkwardly, I walked over, taking the present from Annabeth's hand. Sure, I had gotten her a present, but I wasn't expecting anything from her. Not caring to be careful, I ripped the green wrapping paper from the box, pulling off the top to see a shark's tooth. It was on a silver chain that reminded me of the color of Annabeth's eyes. On closer inspection, I saw that the tooth actually had writing inscribed in it:

'Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl.

Jackson and Chase.

xx.'

Smirking, I pulled Annabeth into a half hug, while she laughed into my neck, "You look like you've just been brought to the beach for the first time. I don't think I'll ever forget that look."

"Yeah," I grinned but pulled away from Annabeth quickly, remembering that her parents were still in the room, "thanks." Fiddling with the box in my pocket, I felt myself growing increasingly nervous about my present to her. "I'll, uh, give you yours later."

Her eyes flickered with wonder, but she shrugged anyways, "It better be good." Smirking, she sent a glare to Mathew and Bobby who were making kissing sounds while Mr. and Mrs. Chase just looked on confused.

"Yeah, I hope it is," I mumbled to myself. Annabeth was too busy chasing stalking towards Bobby and Mathew to even hear.

"Percy, save us!" Mathew and Bobby both yelled as they ran from Annabeth who was simply grinning, amused. I knew how much she enjoyed having the power to intimidate people. Looking towards Mr. and Mrs. Chase, they simply shook their heads yet grinned. Well, I had nothing to lose so I wound up behind Annabeth, as Mathew and Bobby continued to circle around the living room.

It had been a while since I felt so, content. Laughing along with the Chase family, I joined Annabeth, Mathew, and Bobby, in their game of chase. While I knew Annabeth could have easily reached Mathew and Bobby, she gave them enough distance to make them feel like they could still get away; that was something I liked about her, maybe even loved, but I don't know how far that loved went – as a best friend or more. As much as she liked winning, she always let some people feel victorious especially when it came to her younger brothers. "Percy, you stink at this," Bobby called back to me as they saw how close Annabeth was to getting them.

Grabbing her around the waist, I stopped Annabeth from reaching her younger brothers as they cheered me on for getting the win. Turning her around, I noticed Annabeth's eyes quickly shift upwards as a blush formed on her cheeks. Confused, I too glance up to set my sight on, well, you guessed it mistletoe. Scratching the back of my head, my gaze looked anywhere except for Annabeth; they had some nice furniture, pictures, and nutcrackers around their house. "So," I caught her eyebrows raise as she gestured to the situation between us.

Looking at Mr. Chase, he too had his eyebrows raised, coming off as slightly amused. Giving me a slight nod of the head, he basically gave me approval to make out with his daughter right in front of him. Well, I mean, I doubt he'd like it if I made out with Annabeth in front of him, but he seemed to have no problem with me kissing her. Swallowing slightly, I turned my attention to Bobby and Mathew who were snickering as if it was the best thing they had ever seen. And lastly, I looked down at Annabeth who was blushing, really hard. I couldn't blame her; I probably looked the same as she did right there.

There wasn't much left for me to do, so I kissed her. It was nothing – barely brushing my lips against hers and pulling apart. You'd think that with the kissing being so short it would have no effect on me; you would have thought wrong. I'm pretty sure I was blushing even harder, which was really stupid 'cause I've kissed Annabeth more than enough times, but never in front of her family.

"Merry Christmas," I mutter to no one but myself. This may not be a normal Christmas, but I have a feeling it may be on the list of the one of the best. There's nothing better than spending the holiday with your best friend of the opposite sex.

**…**

Laying on the couch, I flicked through a few of the channels on the TV. While there were more than a hundred channels, I couldn't find anything to take my mind off of the long day. In fact, I think people would have thought me crazy when they saw the grin that I couldn't wipe off my face. For some reason, I couldn't help replaying every time that I was in contact with Annabeth: her hand on my mine, my arm around her, my lips on hers. It was pretty cool how Mr. Chase just allowed me into his house again. I mentally made a note, which I knew I would forget, to thank him. Doesn't really matter if I forget anyways as my mom will make sure I thank them for the rest of my life. I sigh. My mom. It's weird having her being engaged again, not to my dad. There was a slight chance, or so I thought, that she and my dad would get back together. I guess it was fairly dumb since my dad hadn't been in contact with us since I was three. For some reason, I just couldn't let it go. Some of those years, I basically fell into a deep hole, and I didn't want to escape. The only think that really tied me to the Earth was Annabeth. I remembered, cringing, one Christmas Eve where I told Annabeth that I planned to run away. I asked her to run away with me too; she said she would. She also told me that I wouldn't run; it pissed me off. It pissed me off because she was right.

I never ran.

She was only my best friend then, but her hold on me was as strong as ever, only getting stronger. If I'm honest, I wish that I had that hold on her because maybe she would be dating me, instead of Luke: well, they're broken up now. But still, maybe they never would have been together in the first place. There's no point in thinking that because it will never happen. Annabeth will probably never think of me as anything more than a best friend. Heck, she might even think of me as a brother. Call me stubborn, I probably got it from her, but I don't plan on giving up anytime soon.

"Nothing good on?" She asked, standing behind the couch where I lay. It was my designated place to sleep as Mr. Chase made it very clear that the days of Annabeth and I sharing a bed were long gone. I don't blame him for that rule; I do have hormones, and I can't be blamed for what they do when I'm asleep.

"Nah," I mumbled, flicking through a few more channels. I never knew that there were so many infomercials on at eleven something at night.

"Scooch," she states before pushing herself over the couch to lay next to me. Her head tucked under my neck, one of her hands on my chest. I guess I should mention I was only wearing pajama pants to sleep in; it was no big deal being 'half naked,' but with Annabeth now lying against me, I couldn't help my breath coming out harder and more labored. She chuckled before running a hand down my abdominals, making me tense, "It's been awhile."

"Yes," I reply simply. It had been much too long, if you asked me.

"You still owe me that Christmas present," she smirked against my neck, shifting to get more comfortable. I guess her idea of comfortable was putting more of her body against me, not that I had a problem with it.

"I'll get it then." Slowly, I attempted to scoot out from the back of Annabeth, and I could have sworn I heard her moan. I was probably just imagining it though.

Retreating up to her room where my duffle bag was, I attempted to keep every step I made silent. It had been awhile since I last took those stairs, so I swear I hit every pressure point, making every creaking sound possible. I just have to hope that Mathew, Bobby, and Mr. and Mrs. Chase are deep sleepers. Making it to Annabeth's room, I rummage through the jean pockets of my pants to fine the small box in it. Now, don't take this the wrong way, but it was your classic black velvet box. I'm not proposing to Annabeth or anything insane like that. It's just a promise ring, of sorts. A promise that we'll always be best friends, no matter what. And maybe, just maybe, it's a promise that she won't be stubborn to considering me as more than that. I'd like to think I could be more, sometime.

Flipping open the box, I frowned at the ring that was meant to mean so much. It took a while, but I had convinced Silena into telling me Annabeth's ring size, saying how it was for Luke. O'course, Silena didn't believe me, yet she was always a sucker for love so I played up how I was just doing it to for Luke in order to make Annabeth happy; I'm fairly certain she didn't believe me since she secretly smiled at me when telling her the information. After all the gives I've given, plus what I have to get Bobby and Mathew, I've basically blown my entire summer's saving on Christmas. Christmas for other people. Making my mom happy and hopefully Annabeth, I can say that it was worth it. Scratching my head, yeah I know I do that a lot when I'm nervous, I squint at the ring in the dim light. Just in case I got the size wrong, I got a blue chain that way she could wear it around her neck, if she even wanted to wear it. It's pretty simple. Just a silver, what do you call it, band? Then diamonds making the shape of an owl were sandwiched between a P and an A. Closing my eyes and blowing out a breath, I could see the words on the band written 'something permanent.'

After the divorce between her parents, Annabeth had strived to create something permanent. It took years, but I knew that I could be that something permanent, especially when Annabeth and I sealed our friendship. But, that's a story for another time, and no one can tell it as well as Annabeth can. Plus, I love seeing the way she scrunches her nose in fake disgust then rolls her eyes when she pretends to be me. Even after having the heard the story more than a hundred times, the expressions still get me every time. Annabeth gets me every time. She always will. I'll be honest, I considered asking her out today when I learned that she and Luke broke up. I couldn't do it. Annabeth had only been apart from him for two days now. I wanted to give her more time to get back on her feet before asking. I know I'll ask, though. This time, I know I will.

Closing the box, I creaked back down the stairs, stopping each time to beg whoever made sure that people stayed asleep would keep the rest of the Chase's asleep. Making in front of the couch, I pulled out the box, laying my eyes on Annabeth. I frowned but couldn't help chuckle. She was asleep. Grabbing a pillow and laying the blanket over her, she sleepily grabbed my arm. "Stay with me." I don't know what she meant exactly, so I stood there, completely still. Even with her eyes almost completely closed, Annabeth could still know my confusion. "You're supposed to sleep on the couch. Now I just happen to be here, too." Chuckling for the last time, I felt her grip on my arm slacken a little as I climbed back behind her. Although she was asleep, she shifted back against my body, rubbing into me. Unlike the most recent times, her hair smelled like lemons. Lemons, my eyes flicker open, for a brief second.

Lemons. The last time she smelt like lemons was back in middle school, the day of our first kiss. I inhaled deeply, letting the scent of lemons lull me to sleep while hoping I wake up before Mr. Chase can see us.

"Merry Christmas, Wise Girl," I muttered before my subconscious took over, and I could no longer smell the soft, citrus aroma.

**…**

**December 25 ~ Day 2.**

**…**

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><p><strong>AN: So, I gave you guys a bit longer of a chapter. I hope you guys like it. Anyways, I'm not too sure yet what I plan to do with the next chapter; I have a couple things floating through my head. I'll try to get the update out faster, but I can't guarantee when as I'm rewriting my first story, Chase's Pain, more than likely.<strong>

**Well, I'd love to know what you guys thought of the chapter. Review?**

**~ Jam.**

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><p><strong>Anonymous Review Replies:<strong>

Hi – but if that happened, then there wouldn't be much excitement to the story, eh? But I do agree, Percy really needs to open his eyes already. Unless, Annabeth doesn't like Percy like that?

LuluNoel – Hahah, this is the last update that I need to do, now. I'm pretty sure you asked if I could beta one of your other stories – I suppose I could, but I just want to warn you that I'm busy the rest of this month.

Fireballer23 – Aw, that's so sweet and nice! I know exactly how you feel; I'm the same way with some of the other stories out there.

Its just me – Ah, nice to you see you. Aw, thank you so much! You really are much too sweet in your reviews. I'm happy to hear that you really liked the chapter.

Envelope123 – Ah, nice to see you, as well. Thanks! I hope that I can keep it up.

Namaz – YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND, haha.

BeachBum13 – interesting choice of user. Thank you! I hope to be able to keep it up.

Hola – here is the update

(blank space) – Thank you! Yes, I have. Hahah, I actually hadn't even realized that; I remember back months ago that I listened to the song the same night you had the review, this time listening to it in order to see the similarities; you were right. Ah, I'm sad to say this really isn't update.

Cobain – Thank you! I hope to update faster next time.

Its just me – Yep, I can. I hope to have helped to fill your need.

(blank space) [#2] – Here's your update! Hope you enjoy.

Lory – I will keep writing, that I promise. In which is Annabeth harder to understand? Chase's Pain? Ah, I too would be worried about Percy: worried that he may get his feelings hurt int the end. Ooh, I never had considered Percy's reputation – that has just given me a couple more ideas as to what to do for a chapter later on. So, I thank you in advance.

Lory (#2) – Ah, yes I didn't think of them, yet I didn't really have them as being in the main group of their friends But true, they weren't there. Nope, it's actually their winter break so it's going to last for a month, the break that is. Here's that update you were asking for Ah, you're just going to have to find out, now aren't ya? Hm, I don't know; is there something with it? Hahah, there are some that do and some that don't. It all just depends on what friendship they have with one another. Yes, it does. Huh, looks like you will have to wait for those questions to be answered ;) Gotta leave some surprise in the story ;p Aw, thank you! I hope Chapter Three lived up to it, for you.


	4. Day 3

**Only Thirty Days  
>Summary: <strong>Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: **_JRRVS, hellolittleflowers, C__hildOfWisdom, strawberrysnares, __XOsweetPURPLEcandyOX, fireballer23, riml, veryfunny, flyonfan14, thegayperson, I'm Myself Deal With It, mysterysolvers1, Miette in the Rain, IAmTheThirteenthOlympian, Anonymous, Iruchi-chan, Agent Astro Zombie, Allstar Weekend Fanatic, doifrgac, Sapphire-Zebra, Percabethforever234, Crazy. Lazy. Gurl, Taffeh. , MaGgIe LeRmAn, XxDreamless WorldxX, .Percy Jackson.  
><em>**Disclaimer: **I don't own PJO…

**A/N: **Ah, I know I haven't updated for a while, but here I am. It's been a month (or at least it's been a month the day that I'm writing this. I probably won't wind up updating the same day.) I actually had a pretty bad case of writer's block for this story, so that's why I hadn't updated sooner. Then, I got an idea and decided to go with it.

**This is a fairly short author's note; I hope you all enjoy.**

**xx**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 4<span>  
><strong>

**Day 3****.**

You know those times when you dream yet can't remember what exactly happened? Yeah, that was what happened to me the night before. Normally, I could recall any of the dreams that I had, but tonight was somehow different. I wasn't quite sure if I liked that fact or not. Breathing out my nose, I stretched, realizing that there were two grey eyes already watching me: Annabeth. I had forgotten that she fell asleep on the couch with me yesterday. Just to be clear, nothing happened past falling asleep. It was probably good that nothing happened because Mr. Chase would definitely kill me for just sleeping on the couch with his daughter, alone. Thankfully, it seemed like Mr. Chase hadn't shown up yet because all my limbs were still intact. Nonetheless, Annabeth still looked good despite the bed hair. "Morning," I mumbled, eyes only partly open.

"Good morning," she smiled, hugging me tighter around the waist. "How'd you sleep?"

"Well I think?" I scratched my head, not entirely sure if I slept well or not. Normally, I would tell Annabeth about any dreams I had, and she would analyze them as to what they truly meant. I wondered if there was something to be said about not being able to remember a dream at all.

She raised her eyebrows slightly, "No dreams?" I couldn't tell if she was disappointed or not, but she seemed to be getting into the whole Annabeth the Analyzer state.

"None," I paused, waiting to see if they might return to me; they didn't, "that I can remember. Is that bad, Doc?" Whenever she became Annabeth the Analyzer, I always teased her by using names like doctor and investigator. Normally, she would just roll her eyes before answering the question I had or give her verdict.

That day was just like normal, it seemed. She rolled her eyes, "No. It's what happens to normal people, Seaweed Brain."

"Are you suggesting that I'm not normal?" I narrowed my eyes at her, waiting to see what she would have to say to that. It was nice to be able to have my normal banter with my best friend again. Considering she didn't have a boyfriend, I actually got the chance to have a real conversation now. I never understood why she completely avoided me when she did have a boyfriend.

"I don't know if you ever _were_ normal," she grinned before sitting up on the couch. I moved my legs toward myself in order to give her more room. Just to make it clear, I was and still am pretty normal. "Thanks. So, what are we doing today?" Her eyes weren't directed towards me anymore but looking for the remote.

I figured that when I told her what my plans were for today she wouldn't exactly be too pleased. Seeing how she just asked me, though, I couldn't put it off or anything. "We don't have any plans," I tried evading her question which seemed to be going all too well.

She glanced at me over her shoulder, smiling, "Well, what do you want to do then?" I inwardly groaned, knowing that I couldn't escape answering her question anymore. It's not that I didn't want to tell her that I already had plans, but I didn't want to get the death glare that she was going to give me when she learned who I would be hanging out with.

"Oh, wait," I paused as if remembering something, "I actually have plans." It wasn't that I forgot or anything, but I couldn't just pretend that I knew from the first place. Then, Annabeth would catch on way too fast.

Annabeth slowed down her flipping through channels, "I thought you said we didn't." Well, it looked like she was catching on quickly anyways.

"Well," I scratched my head preparing for the worst, "we don't." Normally, it was Annabeth who would be that clever as to evading the question with something grammatical. It seemed that she was starting to rub off on me in that fashion. It was a good thing for me, but I had a feeling it was only going to annoy her…greatly.

"Mhm," she stopped flipping through channels to face me with narrowed eyes, "yet you do." It didn't seem like she was mad but more suspicious than anything else. I had never been sure which was worse: suspicious Annabeth or mad Annabeth. They were both extremely unpredictable. I suppose the suspicious one was bad because I kept nothing from Annabeth. Well, that wasn't including the crush that I had on Annabeth for a good, long time.

"Yeah," I gave her a weak smile which she didn't return, "with Rachel."

"Ah, fun." Her face was deadpanned showing no emotion. For whatever reason, Annabeth and Rachel never seemed to get along well, at all. It wasn't just Annabeth who wasn't fond of Rachel, but from what I could see, Rachel wasn't too happy about my friendship with Annabeth. In fact, whenever they were in the same room, it was a lot like sitting next to a dormant volcano: you never know when it's going to go off. It always seemed like I was the one sitting right on top of the volcano.

I eyed her for a few seconds, waiting for her expression to break. As normal, it didn't break. I could never be a good as Annabeth was at hiding my thoughts from my face or people are just really good at their ESP. It was one of those or maybe it was both. I was pretty sure it wasn't neither. "Don't sound so excited." _Not that she ever does when it comes to Rachel._

"Mhm." Annabeth rolled her eyes, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. It wasn't like I had to explain my every whereabouts to Annabeth, so I didn't know why she seemed to be waiting for me to say something. It wasn't like I had expected her to tell me every time she had a date Luke before, and I wasn't even in a relationship with Rachel. So, I didn't see what she was getting at.

Sometimes, I just didn't get the girl I was sitting on the couch with. "If I didn't know any better, Wise Girl, I would say you were jealous." That probably wasn't the best thing to say to her.

She chuckled, the joy not reaching her eyes, "I'm not jealous of her: never have been, never will be." Her back then turned to me, and I knew I wasn't getting anywhere with her now that she knew who I would be hanging out with. For some reason, Annabeth always closed up to me after hearing about Rachel. That or she would start acting pretty weird. By weird, I mean she would be somewhat snippy like those small dogs that always try to bite you.

"Well," I got up off the couch, stuffing my hands into my pockets, "I'll catch you later then?" I suppose it wasn't much of surprise when she pretty much ignored what I said to her. What did surprise me was when I went to kiss her bye, and she turned her cheek so I completely missed her lips. I just shrugged it off, but hey, if I was being honest, it bugged me a lot. I never understood what the big problem was between the two girls, and with neither of them telling me what it was, I would probably never know.

**…**

I was never a big fan of Starbucks, but it seemed that Rachel was. Whenever I asked her why, she would always say something about it being homey and somewhat artsy. You could also say that I never paid much attention to why she liked Starbucks. Either way, I would always wind up meeting her here when she told me that she needed to talk to me, so it didn't really matter to me whether or not I knew why. Generally, Rachel didn't just invite me out for no apparent reason, so I was expecting her to want me to help her in some way again.

"Merry Day After Christmas," she smiled when I walked into the shop. Well, I called it a shop, but I suppose some people might call it a restaurant. For some reason, it never seemed like a restaurant to me which made me stick with the term shop.

"Right back at yah," I shook my head at her jacket covered in paint splatters. "What have you been up to?" I asked her aloud, taking a seat across from her. I cringed realizing that I said it aloud, but thankfully, I left out the part about my asking being because of her jacket. I guessed that the rest of her clothes looked the same way.

She already had her hands around a coffee, so I figured she had been waiting there for a while. "My newest project," she shrugged, watching me with interest. "Let me guess," she seemed amused, "you don't want a coffee, right?"

It had always been a running joke between us that if it weren't for her, I wouldn't step foot in a Starbucks. "Right," I smirked, "I could buy a baseball for the cost of one of those things. And, a baseball would probably taste better."

"When did you start getting into baseball?" Her frizzy hair seemed be to be untamed as normal, and I noticed a few flecks of paint in it too. Whatever her new project was, it seemed to be a messy one.

"I didn't," I shrugged when her eyes widened. "I'm spent Christmas with Annabeth, and her brothers kept talking to me about baseball. I guess it's not half bad, but I'm more into swimming." That's also probably because I had been the captain of the swim team even though I was only a junior last year.

She looked at me skeptically, "Yet, it's your senior year, and you don't seem too happy with the swim team." I wondered how Rachel knew that because I didn't tell anyone how I wasn't too happy with swimming right now. Sometimes, Rachel could pull things out of nowhere, and she always seemed to be right on track with it. It was pretty weird at first, but I had gotten used to it after a while.

"There you go again," she gave me a slight smile while I shook my head, "coming up with things out of nowhere and being right. You're almost right as much as Annabeth." _Crap, I knew right away that I made a mistake comparing Annabeth and Rachel to each other. It was definitely a mistake since I said how they were alike._

Her eyebrows rose almost right after I said Annabeth's name. This probably wouldn't end well, at all. "Hm and how is your little friend doing?" She took a sip of her coffee, eyebrows still raised. Her green eyes didn't show anything of anger but something different. It seemed that Annabeth's dislike of Rachel was more outward, yet for me, Rachel's was much more confusing. Still, though, I didn't know why they disliked each other.

"She's good," I scratched my head, not sure of how this new conversation would end. "She and Luke broke up." I wasn't sure why I included the last part, but I couldn't help but grin slightly when I said it. In my jacket pocket, my hand bumped into the black box, and I remembered how I still needed to give Annabeth her ring. I pushed off my nervousness since I couldn't now anyways; I was talking to Rachel.

"Aha," Rachel tapped her fingers on her coffee which distracted me a little, "so is she back to you again?" When I focused again on her, there seemed to be distaste written on her face. I was pretty sure it wasn't due to the coffee or anything.

"Yes," I answered shortly, deciding that either I should change the subject right then and there or find out what the two of them had against each other. "So, why do you hate Annabeth again?"

Rachel chuckled before settling with a smile on her face, "I don't hate her." She seemed to be watching me to gauge whether or not she should tell me the reason why. Considering I didn't break eye contact with her, she mumbled, "I can't do much harm." Her voice, then, went back to a normal loudness, "Look, she uses you all the time. That's what I don't like, and I don't hate her. It's more of a dislike sort of thing. If she ever stops using you, then I won't have a problem with her whatsoever. Until then, no promises can be made."

"She doesn't use me," I paused, hearing Rachel make a sound of disagreement. "She's not using me since I'm fine with it." Thinking back on that, it probably wasn't a great argument at all, but it was the best that I had then.

Rachel shook her head, "Just because you enjoy it doesn't mean she's not using you. Come on, she makes out with you until she gets her next boyfriend. You don't count that as her using you?" I never really considered Annabeth as having used me, and Rachel's version of it didn't sway me. Annabeth and I were friends, and all I needed to do was ask her out. I was just waiting for the right time. Plus, this was just my friendship with Annabeth from the get go.

"So, why I am here?" I changed the subject, not wanting to discuss Annabeth with Rachel. At least I knew why Rachel didn't like Annabeth even if I didn't think her reasoning was right.

She broke her gaze from me, "Well, there's this project that I'm working on…" Of course, Rachel wanted me to help her with her project in some way. I should have known since that was what she always did. It wasn't as if I had a problem with helping her, but her projects normally had some sort of catch. Since she broke her eye contact with me, I had a feeling that this project had a big catch. "I don't need you to paint or anything," she assured me.

I wasn't worried about having to paint or anything considering I would probably mess up whatever she had me paint. Plus, Rachel was already skilled enough in that area so she definitely wouldn't need my help there. "I figured as much," I said, waiting for her to get to what she actually needed me to do.

"Well," she brought her gaze back to me, "I'm doing the scenery for this play that the school's doing in March."

"That's cool," I grinned, knowing that she had always been somewhat interested in having people see her work. Although her parents had suggested buying her a gallery, Rachel never wanted to do it with her parents help so she turned them down. This would probably be even better for Rachel, so I was genuinely happy for her yet waiting to hear where I came into play.

"Yeah," she smiled weakly, "but the thing is… The person that was playing Romeo, well he can't be Romeo anymore." I raised my eyebrows, wondering why she was telling me this part. They always had some other person ready to take the part right? So, this didn't seem like that big of a deal to me.

"That sucks," I said halfheartedly, figuring that there was already another person rehearsing for the part.

"Sure," she muttered, taking another sip of her coffee. It was a long drink, so I waited for her to finish and continue. "Look, I said I could get someone to do it." This was where I got confused since they already had someone doing the part of Romeo, right? So, why wasn't she just getting to the part where I came into play. "And, you're the luckier winner."

I scowled, _wait, what? I was supposed to be the backup?_ "What aren't you telling me, Rachel," I narrowed my eyes when she kept looking anywhere but me.

"You could get extra credit for English?" She questioned, putting on a rather large smile.

I knew she was covering up, but I could still use the extra credit for English. I was only pulling a really low C, and if it got any worse, I would be kicked off the swim team. Sadly, extra credit seemed to be exactly what I needed. Still, it seemed like she was leaving something out. "Rachel, what aren't you telling me?"

"Oh, you know, Calypso is Juliet." I grimaced, realizing that Rachel wanted me to play the lover of my ex-girlfriend. From all that I knew of the play, Romeo and Juliet fell in love then killed themselves in the end. Great, I was supposed to do that, and the lover was supposed to be my girlfriend? If I didn't need swimming for a college scholarship, I probably would have risked getting a D in English. Too bad it was my senior year.

"So," I paused, deciding that I was being left with no choice, "I've already been selected haven't I?"

Rachel shrugged, no longer seeming nervous, "It wasn't my idea. Chiron, I mean Mr. Brunner, had told everyone a group of people for it. Then, Calypso was saying how you guys would have chemistry and all, so she convinced everyone you would be best. And, I knew your English grade needed help so I saw no problem with it. Look, you just need to have the lines memorized in a month and attend rehearsal every Tuesday and Thursday. It's really not that bad Percy."

Well, seeing how I was already decided, there wasn't much I could do about it anyways, "Fine." Rachel smiled, pulling out the play Romeo and Juliet and getting ready to thank me. "Don't thank me, alright? I don't even want to be in this thing," I held up the book to her that was covered in dust. _It's probably dusty for good reason._ "I'll be at the practices, but this better be one of the last favors you ever ask of me, Rachel." I got up, leaving the place. Rehearsing for a school play definitely wasn't how I planned to spend my winter break. What I was hoping for was to chill out, spend some time with Annabeth, and go to the swim practices that I had to attend. I definitely didn't plan to hang out two days a week with my ex-girlfriend and the girl my best friend hated. Plus, how do you explain that to your best friend who hates _both _of the girls?

**…**

**December 26 ~ Day 3.**

**…**

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><p><strong>AN: I know it's shortish for me, but I decided to keep out the last part for the next day. I was going to have it be a part of this chapter, but I then decided against it. Because of that decision, there will definitely be more Annabeth and Percy in the next chapter. ;) Well, I guess this is quite a dilemma for Percy, somewhat. I'm also sorry about the length. I know it's a bit short than I normally go for, but I really wasn't feeling this chapter. I'm out of my writing groove at the moment.<strong>

**Don't be afraid to ask me any questions if you have them, whether in pm or in a review. I'll be sure to do my best to answer them. **** Well, what did you guys think of it? **

**~ Jam.**

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><p><em><strong>Anonymous review replies and reviewers with pms turned off. Also, I would like to thank of all of you guys as well for taking the time to read and review. (I didn't want to sound like a broken record, writing that for all of you guys.)<strong>_

_XxDreamless WorldxX – Aw, thank you! I'm glad that you like it _

_Crazy. Lazy. Gurl – Hahah, I'm definitely continuing it. I suppose I should update the author's note on the first chapter? That would probably be a good idea… Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad that you __like it _

_Anonymous – Aw, thank you! I don't think it's that well thought out since I somewhat hit writer's block before. That was why I was unable to update sooner._

_Riml – aw thank you! I'm happy that you like it! I thought that one was somewhat cheesy, personally._


	5. Day 4

**Only Thirty Days  
>Summary: <strong>Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: **: _booklover484, Percabethforever423, Tajee165, ChildOfWisdom, Ame Deri-chan, flyonfan14, Agent Astro Zombie, Allstar Weekend Fanatic, Percabeth Lover12, it's just me, Anonymous, Miette in the Rain, akd007, kookiie.  
><em>**Disclaimer: **I don't own PJO…

**A/N: **Okay, I really apologize for the last chapter; I was in a horrid mood overall yet felt like I needed to update then since I would busy for the week after. I considered rewriting it, but I knew I would just procrastinate on that. So, I hope this chapter will make up for it for you guys.

Also, I know quite a few of you have asked about Annabeth's POV; I don't plan to have Annabeth's POV for two main reasons ;) One, it would give away how Annabeth was feeling, and two, I had plans for Annabeth's POV for some other things down the road. We'll have to see about that, though.

**Hope you guys like this chapter more than the last.**

**xx**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 5<span>  
><strong>

**Day 4.**

I threw the book at the foot of my bed, not wanting to even look at the thing. It was annoying enough that I'd basically been forced to join the play due to the fact that I needed to raise my English grade, and it was even worse that I would have to spend time with my ex-girlfriend, too. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't focus on this book with all of its old, backwards language. I got the fact that it was about two teenagers that couldn't date in public and stuff, but it was bugging me that I couldn't even understand it after I got past my dyslexia messing me up. And, I now had to memorize all the lines of the lead guy who was supposed to fall in love with my ex-girlfriend. That's exactly what I was looking to do when I couldn't even figure out how my best friend felt about me.

"Having fun?" I looked up to see the feet of my best friend. Well, you see, I was actually lying on my bed, on my back, with my head towards the door. So, I could only see her feet, but it was the voice that told me it was her.

I cringed, "Sure." Even though I tried to sound nonchalant, Annabeth showing up had just made my day that much better.

The feet started getting closer, "Is that why you chucked your book over there?" I could sense the smile in voice as she kneeled down next to me to grab the book. "Romeo and Juliet? It's a good book, but I never thought that'd be the sorta thing you'd go for."

I groaned, "It's not at all." She was now leaning over me, so I could see her head. Her eyes were pretty entrancing, but it was her lips that I kept getting caught on. Even though I had seen them pretty much every day for years, there was something about them that made them seem softer… and well, made me want to kiss her.

"Didn't think so," she shrugged, raising her eyebrows, "but here it is in your room. So, what's brought yo- "

I caught her off guard by raising my hand to her face and bringing my lips up to hers. Pretty much, it was the spur of the moment decision, but I didn't want to even think of the play right now; all I could think about was having Annabeth's lips on mine. Surprisingly, they were soften and warmer than I expected. She returned my kiss, but I couldn't help but feel it was somewhat hesitant. I pushed the thought out of my head, rubbing my thumb against her cheek as I continued to kiss her.

She pulled back, "Percy-" but I kissed her again, only for her to push against my shoulders, breaking me out of my trance. I should have known better than to keep kissing Annabeth when she didn't want me to kiss her. "What aren't you telling me?"

I frowned, breaking my eye contact from her. Sure, I didn't want to talk about the play with her, but that wasn't my reason for kissing her. I kissed her because I wanted to, and yeah, somewhat hurt my ego that she didn't want to kiss me back. "Nothin'."

"Sure," she rolled next to me on my bed, bumping her shoulder against mine, "that's why you kissed me?"

"No," I mumbled, not sure if I should tell her the real reason or not.

I could feel her eyes on me, even though I had turned my head the other way. She sighed, dropping the subject of the kiss, "Matt and Bobby said they wish they could replace me with you."

Turning my head to face her, I met the grey eyes that seemed dull with sadness, "Why?"

"They said you're more fun." She shrugged, but I knew it was actually bothering her greatly that her brothers wanted to trade her in.

I rested my hand on her cheek again, pushing the hair out of her face, "They just like that I buy them stuff when they catch us kissing."

She pouted slightly, running her eyes over my face, "I'm surprised you don't have more girlfriends." When I gave her a confused look she continued, "You can be sweet when you want to be."

I laughed, putting my arm around her waist, "Stuff holds me back." _Like you._

"Is that what happened with you and Calypso?" She muttered, and I couldn't help but tense at the mention of her name. I never really discussed Calypso with Annabeth considering the fact that she wasn't a great subject when it came to Annabeth. Plus, I only dated Calypso to make Annabeth jealous… definitely not one of my shining moments.

I kissed her temple, "Something like that."

Leaning her head on my chest, she sighed, "Percy, you know you can tell me anything." And, I knew that, but I also knew that this wasn't just anything.

"Yeah," I glanced down at her quickly, "it's uh… complicated." _Yeah, to say the least._ She didn't talk, so I knew she was waiting for me to continue, "Calypso broke up with me."

"But, you never seemed sad," Annabeth surmised.

I chuckled, "Nope never did. I didn't date her for the right reason." _It's now or never._ Annabeth gave me a looking saying _why did you?_ Pretty much, I had to get the guts to tell her now, or I knew I'd never be able to tell her much less ask her out some time. "I wanted to make you jealous, Annabeth."

She lifted her head off my chest and turned on her side, "Why?" Even though her face showed surprised, there was a small part that appeared to be genuinely happy.

Pausing, I watched the eyes of my best friend become interested yet suspicious. I sighed, not seeing the one thing I was hoping for, "I figured if I dated someone…Then, you might actually care about me as more than a friend. I guess not."

When I broke my eye contact away from her to the ceiling, she slapped my arm hard, "You're such a Seaweed Brain."

She chuckled as I mumbled, "Ow. Doesn't mean you have to beat up my arms. I need them for swimming." She rolled her eyes, lying back on her back. "So, what I do that was so bad?"

"You dated her to make me jealous. No wonder she broke up with you," I could tell Annabeth was trying not to laugh. Nonetheless, it wasn't the reaction I was expecting from her. I thinking, _hoping_, that she'd say it worked and then confess her love me. Hah, okay, so maybe she'd just say that she'd like me as more than a friend, but hey, I could dream, right?

I shrugged, "It probably didn't help that I wouldn't kiss her."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows slightly, before looking at me. "So, why did you want to make me jealous?" There was a smirk on her face, and I knew that she was just trying to torture me.

I was having a tug of war going on in my head: _maybe she likes and I should tell her or maybe she doesn't like me in that way and it'd be awkward if I did._ And if I told her and she didn't like me, that could pretty much ruin my friendship with Annabeth. That was definitely something I didn't want to happen. "Don't know. Make you pay attention to me again? You know… instead of all your boyfriends..." Okay, so maybe that was just a part of it, but I didn't want to just lay it all there and be rejected. When you've liked a person as long as I've liked Annabeth, then you'll understand what I'm getting at.

"Percy," she sighed, sitting up on my bed, "I did notice you. You just didn't seem to care about me anymore… You wouldn't hang out with me like we used to…" And, I guess she was right. I didn't want to be around Annabeth when she got another boyfriend, and it wasn't me.

"True." I stated shortly, knowing that she would drop the subject if I did so.

"So, tell me about why you have a Romeo and Juliet book," she smiled, knowing that she dropped the subject only to go back to another that I didn't want to discuss.

I gritted my teeth, "I had to join the school play… and well, I'm the lead guy." Not that I really had any choice, though.

"Seriously?" She laughed, throwing the book onto my stomach, "And, who's Juliet, _Romeo_?" I could tell she was teasing me by using the name Romeo.

I broke my gaze away from her, knowing that this might not go over well, "Calypso…"

"Ah… So you're doing it for Calypso?" Annabeth titled her head, looking down at me calculatingly. I didn't know if this was a good time for Annabeth to have a height advantage over me – that was only because I was lying down while she was sitting – or not.

I swallowed hard, knowing that she wouldn't like Rachel being part of the reason any better, "No."

She hardened her stare, "Is that why Rachel wanted to talk to you yesterday?" _Damn it, _I had forgotten that she was smart.

"Yeah…" I gave her a weak smile, "But… I'm not doing it because of Rachel….You know how sucky my English grade is right now…"

"And, this will help how?" She raised her eyebrows, not at all amused.

"Look, Mr. Brunner said it would raise my grade. Then, I can stay on the swim team and pass senior year." I knew Annabeth still wasn't a big fan of this whole thing.

She crossed her arms, "Okay…So, this was Mr. Brunner's idea?" She definitely was not gong-ho on this whole thing at all.

"Er… somewhat…" I trailed off, wanting to get out of this interrogation by Annabeth Chase. She could be pretty intense when she truly wanted to be, so being on the other side of her questioning definitely was not the best place to be.

"Percy…" Her tone was menacing, one of the ones that says _tell me, or else._

I frowned, knowing there was no escape, "Yeah… Well, there was a group of people…and s'posedly Calypso said I would have chemistry with her, so…"

"Oh really?" She raised her eyebrows, obviously not amused, "So, you and your ex-girlfriend still have chemistry, eh? Obviously…" I couldn't hear the end of what she said as she trailed off, but it definitely didn't seem to be anything great from her end.

Raising my hands in surrender, I sat up, "Look, I'm not thrilled about it either. I can't even understand all the stuff that Willy Shakespeare," she rolled her eyes and shook her head," is talking about. How the hell am I supposed to memorize it when I can't even read a line of it in one sitting?"

She smiled, knowingly, "Look what you got yourself into, Seaweed Brain."

"Wise Girl…" I smiled at her suspicious expression, "You're smart…"

"Did you just notice, Seaweed Brain?" She rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. I knew then that I had at least gotten through to her somehow.

I grinned, "So, you could help me out then… You just help me memorize and do all that acting stuff." Hey, it sounded like a brilliant idea to me, alright? Plus, I would get to hang out with my best friend.

She looked at me skeptically, "What's in it for me?"

"A kiss?" I shrugged, not seeing what Annabeth would need in order to agree to help me. Plus, I liked the idea of her having to kiss me cause, well, I liked having to kiss her.

She laughed lightly, "I can do that without helping you, Seaweed Brain. Nonetheless, I'll help you anyways. Just remember to credit me," she winked slightly, before laughing again.

I smirked, watching her face light up from shear happiness. It was nice to see after being apart for so long. "Thanks," I said, watching her grey eyes light up, trying not to get lost in them. It had already happened many times before, and I didn't need a repeat.

"Don't mention it," she shook her head, still smiling.

When she shook her head, a piece of hair fell into her face, and I instinctively pushed it behind her ear. Instead of letting my hand drop, I kept it on her cheek, meeting her eyes. Rubbing my thumb across her cheek, I watched her lips turn slightly upwards as she leant into my hand. She leaned towards me slightly, resting her forehead against mine, not saying anything. I did the same, just enjoying having my best friend there, having her around. I didn't need to ask to know that she was doing the same. Her wrapping her arms around my waist only solidified that. "I've missed us," I muttered as I pressed my lips against her forehead.

She pressed her lips against my chin, "Like you wouldn't believe, Percy."

_**Flashback**_

_I sat across in the cafeteria, watching Annabeth laugh with her boyfriend, Luke. This was our senior year, and I thought I'd be spending it with her mostly. Sure, she had asked me if I wanted to sit with her, but I didn't want to be around Luke flirting with her anymore that I had to be. It was complicated liking your best friend, but it was more complicated when your best friend didn't seem to notice and, well, was hot. But, she wasn't just the normal 'hot.' No, that was much too generic. She was beautiful, pretty, gorgeous – you name it. Though most of all, she was my Wise Girl, and that was the best thing about her._

"_Stop staring, Kelp Head," Thalia hit me upside the head, before taking a seat. "If that's what you wanted to do all lunch, then why didn't you ask her out already?"_

"_Not simple," I mumbled, looking away from Annabeth towards Thalia. There were days when it seemed that Thalia wanted me to date Annabeth, and some she didn't._

"_Sure is," she bit into her apple, shaking her head. "You've head years, Kelp Head, so what took you so long?"_

_I looked off towards Annabeth who now resting her head on Luke's shoulder, "Just drop it, Thalia."_

"_She's my best friend, too, Kelp Head." Her blue eyes bore into mine as she narrowed them._

_I shrugged, "Your point?"_

"_My point," her glare became more intense, "is that I don't want to see you messing around with her anymore."_

"_What the hell?"_

"_Don't play stupid. Don't act like you don't lead Annabeth on whenever she's single again." She shook her head, fury filling her eyes, "She doesn't need any more shit from you, Percy. Just man up and stop leading her on."_

"_Man up?" I question, not at all happy with Thalia's statement._

_She crossed her arms in front of her, "Yeah. Stop being a Kelp Head and let Annabeth be happy for once."_

_I stood, tired of getting beat up by Thalia, "Believe it or not, I care about her a lot more than you do." Leaving the table, I threw my tray out before exiting the cafeteria into the hall. None of the aids really seemed to care that I was leaving the cafeteria at all. Nonetheless, I don't think they could have of stopped me in the first place; I was mad and just needed to get away. It was enough that I had to see Annabeth every day with her boyfriend, but it didn't help with Thalia tried to act as if I didn't give a crap about Annabeth. I sure as hell did care about her._

"_Percy?" I turned to the voice of Annabeth who was walking towards me slowly._

_I had figured that Annabeth hadn't seen me leave the cafeteria, but I guess she actually noticed. That or someone had told her about me leaving. "Yeah?" I grunted, somewhat still angered by Thalia._

"_What happened?" She now stood in front of me, her arms hanging by her side._

"_Nothing," I grimaced, taking in the sight of an Annabeth that was not my Annabeth. My Annabeth wouldn't have really given a crap about what clothes she wore, she wouldn't be wearing the shortest shorts on the planet, and she wouldn't be wearing makeup. She didn't need any of that to look pretty, and it only angered me that Luke had made her believe that she did – that all her other boyfriends made her believe that she did._

_She let her hand find mine and grasped it lightly, "What Thalia do this time?" Her grey eyes inspected me, always seeming to know everything before even being told. "What'd she say about you and me this time?"_

_I blew out a hard breath, "It doesn't matter. Shouldn't you be making out with Luke or something?"_

_Her eyes showed hurt for a second before she sighed, "We're best friends, you know." The hand that was enveloped in mine grasped mine tighter._

"_I must have forgotten," I paused, looking away from her. "You know, after all the time of not talking."_

_She looked at me quizzically before speaking, "It's not as if I haven't tried talking to you. It's not like I didn't make the effort, Percy."_

"_Yeah, sure," I muttered angrily, knowing that she was right yet again. It normally didn't bother me when she right; it didn't truly bother me then. What bothered me was that I seemed to be the one not trying in our friendship at the moment. It wasn't like that though: I was trying, but I just didn't know how._

_She shook her head, "Having fun being angry at the world, Seaweed Brain?" I could feel the corners of my lips rise slightly at my nickname, but I then scowled realizing what I was doing. She smiled slightly, "You know, it's not a crime to smile."_

_I shrugged, "You sure about that, Wise Girl?" I pretended to be thinking my using a hand to rub my invisible beard, "Wait, don't answer that. Course you are. You're always right." Smirking slightly, I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand._

"_Yep," she smiled, stepping closer to me, "so you remember that." She stood up on her toes to kiss my forehead lightly, keeping them pressed against my forehead until she hugged me tightly._

_Her hair smelled of lemons, "I've missed us."_

_I could feel a smile spread across her lips against my neck. Her hot breath was beating against my neck, her blond curls tickling my skin. "Like you wouldn't believe, Percy." She pulled back from me, a small smile on her face._

_**End of Flashback**_

She pulled me into a hug, grabbing tightly at the back of my shirt. My arms enveloped her waist, leaning my chin on her top of her head. I could feel a smile spread across her lips against my neck. Her warm breath was beating against my neck, her blond curls tickling the bottom of chin. Her soft lips pressed a kiss against my neck. Only this time, she didn't pull back.

She didn't let go.

**…**

**December 27 ~ Day 4.**

**…**

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><p><strong>AN: What did you guys think? I know, it's somewhat short for me, but I really just felt like that was the perfect place to end. Did this make up for the last chapter?<strong>

**I'd love to know all of your opinions on it. Review?**

**~ Jam.**

**xx**

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><p><strong>Anonymous review replies:<strong>

It's just me – hahah, it appears that it does. Thank you! And ah yes, that's what writer's block does to a person. Thank you for taking the time to read and review

Anonymous – Ahahah, nah it actually wasn't well thought out in a sense. I couldn't think of anything, hence my writer's block, and then I thought of that rather quickly. Aw, thank you! And thank you again for taking the time to read and review.


	6. Day 5

**Only Thirty Days  
><strong>**Summary: **Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous:** _Guest, kookie, Percabethforever234, trangnha, CimFan, Anonymous, Tajee165, PJAX51, XosweetPURPLEcandyOX, Miette in the Rain, ButtterflyFlyToMe, Clumsy. Mustache, AthenaGray15, Taffeh. A. Llama, B, Jack, Percabeth Lover12, Guest, Copper Pheonix, Mrs. NaillHoran, BlueberryMuffinsForLife, GrayBayBay, Hanzi55, Fortune24  
><em>**Disclaimer: **I don't own PJO…

**A/N: **LKJASDLAJDS. Hi. I'll keep this short, since I'm sure you all just want to read the chapter. Oh, I also hit 100 reviews which is really, freakin' cool.

Um, I really was busy and couldn't update, and then other matters got in the way. Oh yeah, this time I actually posted on my profile that I couldn't update. I guess that makes it an ounce better? Yeah, I know, not really.

**Well, that was a pretty short author's note, right? Okay, not really...**

**xx**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 6<span>  
><strong>

**Day 5.**

I pulled myself out of the water, going off to the side with the rest of the swim team. It was weird hanging around them again because I just didn't feel like I fit in anymore. Yeah, I couldn't say that was the most normal thing for me seeing how I loved swimming, but my grades didn't help me feel like I fit in at all. I was pretty sure all the guys had heard about my slipping grades, and that was the reason why I was barely remaining captain for the second year in a row. I shook the water from my hair, fighting off a chill that was running through the entire high school. Thankfully, the water was warm. The downside was that I wasn't in it.

"Hey man," Travis put a fist toward me which I pounded when I made my way over to the bench. What was funny was that Travis barely made it through to senior year without repeating a grade since he did one too many pranks. Apparently, though, he never actually did that _one_ too many since he never had to repeat any years. Weird, I know.

"Freezing," I smirked, noticing Annabeth sitting on the middle of the bleachers this whole time. I had invited her to hang out at my swim practice, and I didn't actually think she would show up. We were supposed to hang out afterward to go over some lines for the stupid play I got myself into, and I figured it would be simpler to meet up right after my practice. Plus, what harm could there be in her seeing me swimming?

Travis followed my gaze, "Ah, yeah, I don't think it's too hot over there." He winked when he turned towards me again which only caused me to push him, though only somewhat jokingly. His eyes gleamed with something that I knew wouldn't end well, "So, I was thinking of my next prank..."

"Nah," I backed up, lifting my hands in the air, "I'm already in enough trouble with my stupid English grade. I don't need to screw anything up by getting in on one of your pranks." Yeah, as if having to deal with Annabeth, Calypso, and Rachel and their hatred for each other wasn't enough, throwing in a Stoll prank would make definitely it that much better; yeah, that would really help to tank my English grade and kick me off the swim team.

He shrugged as if not surprised, "I was just thinkin' of doing something to Luke... But, if you don't want in on that..." Travis trailed off, trying to entice me into joining his prank. Yeah, when he mentioned Luke, he was definitely doing a pretty good job of getting me to join. Luke and Travis were technically half-brothers, but the two of them never seemed to get on much. That was probably in part because Luke despised their father, and Travis didn't. Either way, it didn't matter to me beside the fact that there was another person who hated Luke, and that person even had the benefit of pulling pranks on him, their half-brother.

Nonetheless, I wasn't sure if I wanted to dive into those waters yet, "I don't know, Travis..." It was sounding pretty good getting one up on Luke, but it definitely didn't sound great having to do another year of high school over – especially not my senior year. This year was supposed to be one where I skated through, but that wasn't how things were ending up.

"Ah, you sure about that?" He grinned, nodding over my shoulder toward the direction of the bleachers. I turned noting that Annabeth was there, but she was now reading a book; that didn't surprise me at all. Still, that didn't explain why Travis was smirking earlier and testing whether or not I wanted to go through with the prank. Scanning the stands, I saw a blonde haired guy sitting a couple or so rows behind Annabeth and to the right. The only thing that drew my attention to him was the fact that he was constantly looking at Annabeth. I should have known right away from the looks he was giving Annabeth that it was Luke. "Yeah, that pranks soundin' pretty good, eh?"

I shrugged, trying to play it off as nonchalant when really I wanted to jump in the bleachers and punch Luke, "No, not really."

"Sure about that?" Travis smirked, taking the time to look back at the bleachers every so often as if to make me want to agree to join in. As much as I wanted to get one over on Luke, some things just weren't worth it. I guessed Travis could tell as he continued, "What do you think he's doing here?"

I scratched the back of my head, "He's your half-brother." How the hell would I know? But yeah, I really would have liked to know right then and there. Too bad I was out of the loop in that case, and it appeared like Travis was too. I could only hope that Annabeth hadn't only come to my swim practice knowing that Luke would show up. Yeah... That would have really sucked if that were the case.

Travis laughed, "Yeah, remember... only _half_ related. That means we're half _not_ related." He glanced back at the bleachers towards Luke and Annabeth, "And, I'm leaning more towards the half not related most of the time anyways." He chuckled, pounding his fist to mine when I raised it at the small diss. It was no secret that I had more than a couple problems with Luke. That first began with Annabeth and ended with Annabeth.

Shaking more water out of my hair, I crossed my arms, "Yeah and I'm liking the part that's not related to Luke the best." I meant, it wasn't like Travis was genuinely interested in Annabeth whereas Luke was, so I obviously liked one side more than the other. Plus, Travis didn't just dump Annabeth like Luke did, and he wasn't staring at Annabeth like Luke was. So, that was two tallies on Travis's mom's side for me. Or in other words, two tallies on the not related to Luke side.

He shrugged as if it were obvious, "Yeah, seeing how you dig Annabeth, it's no surprise, Percy." The side of his mouth lifted into a knowing smirk, and I knew I couldn't argue it. Plus, what was I supposed to do? Say no and have Travis go tell Annabeth and ruin any chances that I had with her? Yeah, right, like that was gonna happen, and my chances weren't going to be ruined because of Travis.

"Thanks, man," I clapped his shoulder, harder than a friendly grasp. "Just go tell the whole room why don't ya?" Yep, because that was exactly what I wanted and needed to happen. It was everyone's dream to have your longtime crush who was also your best friend find out that you liked them. That was exactly what everyone wanted to happen. Right? Yeah, I was right. Oh yeah, if you didn't get it before, that was sarcastic...

"No proble-"

"Jackson, Stoll," the coach yelled, interrupting Travis's comment, "one hundred laps, now, and if you guys keep up the gossiping, I'll work you until the sissy comes out of you."

"Yeah, thanks, Travis," I muttered before diving into the pool. Remind me never to talk to him again and to keep him away from Annabeth at all times.

**…**

"Hey," I heard come behind me as I looked for a towel to grab. After ten seconds of doing that, I knew that someone had thought it would be funny to take my towel. The only problem was I was the captain of the team, and everyone would pay for that prank. So yeah, I was pretty sure it was Travis or his younger brother Conor who did it.

I turned to face Annabeth who was looking at me but somewhere lower down – or maybe that was my imagination, "Hi." It was probably my imagination that she was looking somewhere other than my head. I scratched the back of my head, feeling awkward that I was imagining things about Annabeth... in front of Annabeth.

"So," she ran her eyes over my face, and it looked like she swallowed hard, "are you so good at swimming that you like to show off and do extra laps?" Her grey eyes lit up as she smiled at me.

"Oh, so you noticed?" To be honest, I hadn't thought she was paying any attention to my swim practice. I mean, sure, she was in the bleachers, but I was fairly certain she just spent her time reading whatever book – probably one on architecture – that she brought.

She rolled her eyes, smiling slightly, "Yes, what else would I have been doing?" She stated it as if it were the most ridiculous thing in the world to think that she would get bored of watching me swimming. Sure, I could swim for hours, but I doubted anyone would ever want to _watch_ me swim for hours.

I pointed to the book in her hands, "Reading that thing...which is twenty times less interesting than watching me swim." Her mouth started to open, and I knew she was going to attempt to rebuke anything that I was going to say, "And, you can't play this one off, Annabeth. I have witnesses that saw you reading that there book."

"Well, you ca-"

"Hey, Annabeth" a guy's voice said, that when I looked off to Annabeth's right identified with Luke's. Perfect, now her ex-boyfriend decided to join us as if it wasn't enough that he was even at the gym in the first place. That was exactly what I wanted and needed.

She gave a small smile, "Hi, Luke." Instead of facing only me know, she was turned so that both of us met a side angle of her. If I wasn't mistaken, it looked like she was turned more towards Luke than me, but there was no point in getting into that. It was probably just me imagining things again since I couldn't stand Luke nor Annabeth around Luke.

He shifted his weight from side to side, "So, what are you doing here?" _Why do you care?_ I knew he wasn't asking me, but I was still going to answer in my head. If I couldn't dish him any crap, there was nothing stopping me from thinking it. At that moment, I was starting to wish I had agreed to go through with the prank with Travis.

"I could ask you the same thing," Annabeth said, giving a genuine smile. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought she was flirting with her ex-boyfriend right in front of me. Well, I wasn't too sure if I knew any better because that sure was what it looked like, and I sure didn't like it...

Luke shrugged, stepping closer to Annabeth, "Why don't you?" _No, I'm good because I don't give a crap._ Yeah, it was nice thinking up answers to anything and everything that Luke said. You know what would have been even nicer? Actually saying the stuff to him. Too bad that wasn't gonna happen. Well, it could, but that would also probably mean pissing Annabeth off. No wait, what would have been better would have been if Luke wasn't even at the damn swim practice. Yeah, that would have been twenty times better.

"Either ask each other or drop it," I gritted out, moving a step closer to Annabeth but taking a step forward. It wasn't that I meant for it to sound that harsh, but I was tired of hearing all their weird, flirty talking. It was getting on my nerves.

"Aha," Luke chuckled, finally looking in my direction if only for a second, "I see you're still as friendly as you were when I was dating Annabeth." He held a smug expression on his face, knowing exactly how much torture it was for me to sit back and watch him date Annabeth. Luke and I never got along, and he definitely didn't try to get along with me. In fact, he just made it even harder, whether or not Annabeth knew that.

I angrily rubbed a hand along my chin, "Yeah, you haven't changed a bit either." _Yeah, you're still the ass you were a month or so ago._ Apparently, time didn't do anything to help Luke out at all; maybe, Annabeth would see that and keep her distance from him. Remembering that Annabeth was still there, I glanced in her direction only to see an unamused expression that she kept shooting me. C'mon, it wasn't all my fault this time.

"Are you guys done?" Annabeth questioned, cocking her head with an annoyed expression now played out on her face. I suppose I didn't blame her for being annoyed as it was pretty obvious where the conversation Luke and I were having would end up if it continued for long enough. One of us would have had a busted lip, and it wouldn't have been me.

I nodded, muttering, "Yeah, until he says some other crap." Apparently, I didn't mutter it quietly enough because Annabeth shot me daggers with her stormy, grey eyes. It didn't look like I could do anything right that day...

"Sorry about that, Annabeth," Luke stated way too nice for me. "Percy," he nodded towards me covering up another smug smirk on his face, "we need to set our differences aside." Yeah, like that would have happened anytime soon. Knowing that he was only playing that up for Annabeth's benefit, I didn't acknowledge anything that he said, so of course, he started addressing Annabeth again, "I was actually here because my dad made me come. We're talking again." He grimaced whenever mentioning his dad.

"Luke," Annabeth beamed towards him, "that's great. At least he's trying again. That's always good you know." Her expression was one of encouragement whereas mine was something that said _who gives a crap._ Because really, I didn't give a crap about Luke and his problems.

He shrugged as if it were no big deal, "Yeah, so maybe we should celebrate or somethin'. You and me get some coffee since the practice is over?" His eyes never looked towards me, and I knew he wasn't gonna extend his invitation to me or anyone else besides Annabeth for that matter. Three was a crowd, and it was obvious that I was that unwanted third wheel. "It'll be on me."

"She can't," I said, lazily watching Luke as anger passed over his face. I probably would have had the same look if it were the other way around. Heck, I had that same look a lot of times when Annabeth stood me up for Luke.

Luke sneered, "Annabeth can talk for herself last time I checked." His eyebrows raised showing his disapproval of me as a whole.

"Yeah, she can," I stated nonchalantly, "but she hates letting people down, especially when they're overly pushy."

He let out a sound of amusement, "No wonder you guys hang out so much." He had set his jaw clenching the muscles. I knew he was just digging the chance to punch me, but he wouldn't do it in front of Annabeth. Luke had to play the chivalrous knight so that she would ever consider dating him again. "Annabeth, don't let him get between us again."

_Again?_ I raised my eyebrows towards Annabeth, however she wasn't focused towards me. In fact, she was set on her hands which she seemed to wringing out of nervousness. Though, she had no reason to be nervous so I assumed she was uncomfortable. I mean, _I_ got between Luke and Annabeth? I was pretty sure Luke got between Annabeth and me all those times, not the other way around. That would have definitely explained why Luke seemed to dislike me even more than before.

"I'm sorry, Luke," she sighed, glancing up at him quickly. There was a sad smile on her face, but it was obvious something else was bothering her, "How about another time?"

Luke shook his head angrily, glaring at me before focusing back on Annabeth, "Yeah, sure, I'll text you or something then. We can do something later." He put his hand out and rested it on Annabeth's, "I've missed you." Waiting expectantly, Luke squeezed her hand as if reassuring her of whatever he felt the need to reassure her of: that, I would never know.

Annabeth exhaled as if exasperated, "Yeah, we'll do something later." She no longer seemed to really be paying attention, but I was happy when Luke let go over her hands as Annabeth never actually held his or anything. He turned on his heel and walked towards the exit of the gym.

While waiting for him to finally leave, I watched the expressions pass over Annabeth's face. She seemed to be going through some inner turmoil for some unknown reason. It could have been the fact that Luke was talking to her again, but I doubted that was it. I was only hoping that she wasn't considering getting back together with Luke since I would have had no chance to even get together with Annabeth myself. Normally, she didn't date a guy twice, so I was hoping Luke wouldn't be the exception.

"Percy?" Annabeth mumbled before stepping towards me and pressing her body against mine in a hug. It was only short lived – as in I never got to put my arms around her – since she stepped back the moment she realized I was still wet from the pool. "Why didn't you warn me?" Her gaze was stern as she examined herself.

Come on, she was barely wet at all. "Well, I didn't think you were going to hug me. I mean, seriously, it was completely random," I grinned at her examining the one _drop_ of water that actually got on her. Something had to be bothering her to make her hug me and overreact about a drop of water, "So, what's wrong?"

She wrinkled her nose at the question, no longer looking at me, "Nothing."

"Come on, Wise Girl," I prodded, knowing that there was definitely something bugging her. She was my best friend after all, and I knew her better than probably anyone. With her father not really knowing her and her mother gone when Annabeth was really young, I probably knew Annabeth the best out of anyone.

She shrugged it off, "Put on some clothes, and let's practice some Shakespeare." I knew she was trying to hide whatever it was from me, and that bothered me more than Luke being around earlier. Since we were supposed to be best friends, we were also supposed to be able to tell each other anything. Okay, I probably shouldn't have been the one saying that since I couldn't get the guts to even tell Annabeth that I liked her.

"Alright fine," I gave into her which only caused her to give me a knowing smile, "but don't expect me to forget about the stuff that's bothering you, Annabeth." She only raised her eyebrows, so I continued, "Because you can bet on it that I won't forget about it anytime soon." Yeah, you should know that I would soon forget it two days later...

**…**

"Annabeth, I suck at Shakespeare," I groaned as I lounged in her room going over lines that I was supposed to be learning. Annabeth kept telling me what they meant, but it just never stuck with me. "Seriously, I suck at normal English so why would I be good at this crap? This is worse than normal English." I mean, half the words were probably made up because Shakespeare didn't even know English himself. If he could do that, then I should just get to make up the words the day of the stupid play that I had agreed to do.

She rolled her eyes from the chair across from me, "You just need to keep practicing. All you need to do is read the lines and ask me what they mean. You'll get the hang of it," and I knew she was trying to be reassuring in her annoyed manner, but I think she was the only person who had faith in me. Heck, I don't even think she actually had any faith in me but was pretending to for my benefit.

I could kiss my swim team position away, "Look, practice isn't gonna help me. I'll never get the hang of this stuff." Looking down at the pages, the words just seemed to rearrange themselves even worse than normal. Normally, I could work through my dyslexia, but this Shakespeare nonsense was only making it worse. Or maybe, everything was right as it should have been, but I just didn't understand it at all. Either way, it made no difference to me because I wasn't going to get the hang of it.

"Hm," Annabeth sounded, tapping the arm of her chair while looking at me, "I think we need to take a different approach to this because at the rate we're going, we'll be going away for college before you even memorize one line." She gave me a timid smile, knowing that I wasn't exactly up for jokes at that moment. "We're done memorizing lines for the day," she swiveled her chair to set the book down on her desk.

"Annabeth, I have to know the lines. I have the stupid practice tomorrow," I stated, knowing I would be screwed for tomorrow if we stopped then. Whether or not I wanted to be in the stupid play, I had to learn the lines so that I could raise my grade in English; stopping the practicing of lines wouldn't help me at all.

She rolled her eyes, "Percy, you'll be reading off the book." When she looked up and saw the confused expression on my face, she continued, "That means you won't be reciting the lines from memory. You'll get to read them off the page. What I'm going to do to help you is get you to understand the mindset of Romeo. Alright?" It was definitely a rhetorical _alright_, so I simply nodded my head as to show I was listening. "So, let's say you liked this girl, but she swore off dating any guys."

"That would suck," I laughed, thinking that would be one of the worse things that could happen. I mean really? What would she be? A nun? Man, I could never imagine liking a nun in that way because really? Who had a chance with a nun?

"Yes," Annabeth nodded, watching me intently, "but what if you loved her?" Her eyebrows raised as if gauging my reaction to the scenario. I wasn't sure why she was being so attentive, but I wouldn't argue it nonetheless.

I shrugged, scratching the back of my head, "That would probably be twenty times worse, I guess." I swallowed hard, unsure if Annabeth was supposed to be this girl or not. Cause, I mean, I didn't think I loved Annabeth... I just liked her, and it wasn't like Annabeth even knew. I shook the thought out of my head that was only making me even more nervous.

"Yeah, I bet it would..." Annabeth trailed off as if knowing what it was like. "Anyways, so you're in a pretty bad slump, but do you know what would get you out of it?" She looked at me expectantly which only caused me to feel like I would somehow mess it up.

I thought this one over, wanting badly to live up to Annabeth's expectations, "Uh... Falling in love with another girl?" Asking it unsure, I waited to hear the sigh that Annabeth would give when I got the answer wrong.

Instead of hearing it, I glanced up to see a smile on her face, "You seem to be catching on." I screwed up my face, not sure if she was referring to Shakespeare or something real like us. "Okay, so you find this distracting girl, Juliet, but there's a problem. Your families don't like each other."

"Okay..." I start, thinking of what that would mean. Even if Annabeth's parents didn't like me, I would still try to meet with her, and I didn't even love her. So, Romeo loved Juliet... "So, they start secretly meeting, and they fall in love. Then, they do _it_ and get married, but there's always gotta be a problem, so..." I paused thinking of what the biggest problem could possibly be. Yeah, I got nothin', so I looked at Annabeth begging for her to fill in more stuff.

She sighed, "Alright, so you break up a fight between your best friend and the family of Juliet. The only problem is your best friend is really badly wounded, so you get angry and kill Juliet's family member. That means you're not allowed to come back to the town that you live in." Annabeth stopped again waiting for me to put the pieces together.

It was a weird way to go about it, but it definitely worked for me, "Alright... Well... They still wanna meet, but I bet something goes wrong. And because of that, Romeo kills himself thinking Juliet is dead, and then Juliet sees that he's dead and kills herself. End of story." I shrugged, only knowing that part because of some random stuff that I had heard which surprisingly stuck with me.

Annabeth shook her head smiling, "Yes, more or less. Look, just read a synopsis of what happened in the play before you go in tomorrow, alright? At least you'll have an idea of what happened..." She shook her head again, "It's a good thing you don't need the lines for tomorrow."

I chuckled, "Yeah, it probably is cause I don't even know if I can memorize all of this in the time I have to." It was weird words, and it was also pretty long. I still had no idea why anyone thought it would be a good idea to have me memorize anything much less weird, abnormal English.

Annabeth walked towards me, stopping when she stood in front of me, "You should have more faith in yourself, Seaweed Brain. You're not half bad when you put your mind to it." Her eyes shined a lighter grey that was filled with amusement.

I brought my face closer to hers, whispering, "That also means there's a side that's half bad," and pressed my lips against hers. She kissed me back just as softly, and I realized right then and there that Romeo and I had a couple things in common; while he killed himself because he didn't want to live without Juliet, I wouldn't know what to do if Annabeth wasn't in my life. Sure, I'd probably survive, but it definitely wouldn't be the same without her. And with that running through my mind, I prolonged the kiss, hoping it wouldn't be the last.

**…**

**December 28 ~ Day 5**

**…**

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><p><strong>AN: Eh, somewhat corny ending, I know. But hey, there's nothing wrong with that. So, didn't you guys just love Luke? ;p<strong>

**I really love to know your opinions on the chapter. Review?**

**And feel free to ask me any questions you might have,**

**~Jam.**

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><p><em><strong>Anonymous Review Replies<strong>_

Guest – I've updated! Sorry that it took so long. And also, thank you for taking the time to read and review!

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– The next chapter is coming out today. :) Aw, thank you! By the way, I also love Niall, but I'm not a Directioner. I just like some of their songs. Le shrug, it's complicated I suppose. Also, thank you for taking the time to read and review!

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	7. Day 6

**Only Thirty Days  
>Summary: <strong>Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: **_AtlantaJackson95, Ilovepercabeth1234, Guest/BlueberryMuffinsForLife, Guest/Anonymous, narbig100, DaughterOfHermes11, Tajee165, Iridescent Coconut, leprechaunlady, ButterflyFlyToMe, TLOS00, Guest, Guest, BlueberryMuffinsForLife, Agent Astro Zombie, HannaBananaTwinny, zach2017, Guest/Lilly314, Guest, Guest, WisestOwl, CimFan, Guest, nerdygangsta, Guest/B, Guest, Loverdancer707, EpicNinja8, Guest, DaughterofAthena1234, Percabeth Lover12, kookiie.  
><em>**Disclaimer: **I don't own PJO…

**A/N: **Hello my lovely readers. How has your week been? I hope it has gone well. So, this is obviously the next chapter, but first, I would like to say: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. Thank you for reading, reviewing, and just sticking with this story so far. I honestly wasn't sure whether or not I would have continued this story past the first chapter, so every one hit is more than I thought I would ever get on this story. Thank you all that have reviewed the previous chapter: All of you guys (the readers and reviewers) are awesome, and I can't think you enough.

Okeydokey, time to say hello to another "new" character. Well, new in terms of this story…

**I hope you all (or y'all) enjoy all 5,334 words.**

**xx**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 7<span>  
><strong>

**Day 6.**

"That wasn't too bad," Rachel smiled as I threw Romeo and Juliet into my backpack. It was probably Rachel just wanting to make me feel better or something, but I was fairly certain that I did horribly. I didn't know the lines, and Chiron kept stopping to give me tips about my acting.

I scoffed, "Yeah... I bet everyone got that many stops their first day of the play." It wasn't that I was mad about it or anything, but I was more frustrated that I was making a fool out of myself than anything else. To anyone who just watched me act, it was probably no surprise to them that I was bordering on a D in English.

"No, they do," I heard a different voice say from behind me. I lifted my backpack onto my shoulder and turned around to see the face of my only ex-girlfriend, Calypso. For the past four hours, I had been looking at that face, but it just struck me again how pretty she was. Even though I never cared that much for her and dated her for the wrong reasons, I did make out well when I chose her, in the looks department that is. And well, she was pretty nice...

I scratched the back of my head, "I doubt that." It was weird being around her again, but what was even weirder was the fact that she acted like we were the best of friends instead of exes. I guess that was better than it being awkward, but it definitely would have been less weird if it were awkward. At least if it were awkward, I wouldn't have to talk to her while still feeling guilty about dating her in the first place.

She rolled her caramel eyes, "Percy, even I had to go through that the first day, second, third, heck the first week." Her eyes roamed over my face, and I felt like I was being inspected, "It sucks, but it happens. It's what happens when Chiron knows we're good enough to get the lead role." Hah, too bad I actually didn't _get_ the lead role but was pretty much suckered into getting it. Unlike Calypso, I basically had no choice but to accept the role of Romeo whereas she obviously beat out every other girl with her acting skills. I will admit: she was pretty dog-on good at acting.

"I think that only counts for you when it comes to the whole skills thing," I said simply, trying not to make it come off as anything else but a simple stating of the facts. The only thing I needed was for her to think I was flirting and tumble down into the problem of having her think I liked her again. Sure, I liked her, but it was only as a friend, nothing more.

"Thanks," she smiled timidly, batting her eyes at me. Or, well, I think that was what batting her eyes was? It was either that or she had problems winking? Yeah, I doubt it was the latter.

I shrugged, "No problem." I had this odd feeling that I was only making things worse by giving her one, single compliment that I didn't even truly mean to be a compliment. I only meant to be correcting her, but it turned out she didn't take it as that.

"Well, I'm gonna go," Rachel said, shooting me a glare that basically said _What the hell are you doing?_ Look, I wasn't trying to lead Calypso on at all this time, but it seemed like I was pretty good at it without trying.

"Need a ride?" I offered, knowing that Rachel wanted to talk to me for whatever reason. It was probably going to be her saying not to lead Calypso on or something like that. Somewhere along the way, Rachel and Calypso had become good friends. With the weird ways that girls are, I bet they bonded over their shared hatred of Annabeth.

Rachel shook her head, "No, I drove here." She raised her eyebrows at me as if issuing a warning. I suppose the only problem was that I had no idea what warning she was trying to issue to me. Otherwise, it probably would have been a good way to send a warning. Directing her attention to Calypso, she asked, "Am I still giving you a ride home?"

"Um no," Calypso glanced at me before continuing, "Percy is actually giving me a ride, isn't that right Percy?" Wait, when did I say I was giving Calypso a ride? She must have gotten me confused with some other kid because I definitely didn't offer her a ride, and I didn't plan on giving her one.

But when I looked at Calypso and saw her begging eyes, I gave in, "Yeah, I'm giving her a ride." I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, avoiding the glare that Rachel was probably giving me. This time, it wasn't me who was leading Calypso on, and I didn't want to embarrass her by saying that I wasn't going to give her a ride. Whether or not I cared for Calypso in a relationship way, I still saw her as a friend, and friends give friends rides, right?

"Mm, alright..." Rachel trailed off, sending Calypso some look that I couldn't identify. It was probably some weird form of girl talk that, even though I spent so much time around Annabeth, I had never picked up. They continued passing looks between each other for a while as I just stood there. I was pretty sure they had forgotten I was even there so I cleared my throat. Calypso gave Rachel one last look before Rachel sighed, "I'll see you guys later, and Percy, we need to talk."

She shook her head at me and gave me a warning look before walking towards the auditorium exit. It looked like I was gonna get it from Rachel when we finally talked. Knowing that would happen later, I faced Calypso who was watching me wearily, "So... When did I tell you I was giving you a ride?"

She smiled timidly, "I hoped that you wouldn't mind..." I got distracted by her playing with the ends of the sleeves of her sweater. It was a nice sweater and hugged her tightly in a couple of places... just the right places. Look, I can't help that I'm a guy, alright? We notice those sort of things.

I blew out a breath, "Yeah, I don't mind this time but don't bet on that happening next time." It wasn't that I didn't mind giving her rides, but I didn't want her to get the wrong idea and think that it meant something more than what it was. Sure, we could be friends, but that was as far as it was gonna go, ever. Well, I guess ever again was more like it.

"Sorry," she mumbled, breaking her gaze away from me and at her sweater sleeves.

Calypso had always been good at making me feel bad for her, "No, don't worry about it. It's just a ride right?" I grinned at her, trying to make her feel more comfortable with the situation. I didn't want her to feel bad or like she suckered me into agreeing to give her a ride. Sure, she did, but I also agreed to it, so that had to mean something...

"I'm sure I could find another ride..." She trailed off, glancing around the rest of the auditorium. There really wasn't anyone left inside except for Mr. Brunner and another teacher, so I doubted that she would actually be able to get a ride. Plus, it really was no big deal to give her a ride.

"C'mon," I made a gesture as if to shoot off her idea, "it's no biggie. I can give you a ride, and I got a feeling you wanted to talk to me about something." I mean seriously, why else would she want a ride from me when Rachel was perfectly fine with giving her a ride? And if I remembered correctly, they lived in the same neighborhood or around each other.

"Yeah, I did," Calypso bit the inside of her lip, looking me over. I had this odd feeling that was I being inspected by her once again, and I only hoped that I met up to whatever test she was doing. Look, you'd want to meet up to her expectations, alright?

"So, let's talk," I shrugged, walking towards the exit of the auditorium with Calypso a few steps behind me. It was nice being around her again; I'll give her that. She still had that familiar scent of a garden and newly planted flowers that I liked for some reason. I still can't pinpoint what that reason is, to this day (no pun intended.)

She let us walk in silence for a few seconds before actually talking, "Um, I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to..." She trailed off as we passed Mr. Brunner who gave the two of us a wave. Once we were out of earshot, she continued, "If maybe you wanted to practice the lines with me? I know that they're giving you some trouble, so I figured that maybe some one-on-one work might be better for you?"

For a second, I wondered if this was Calypso asking me out on a date, or something to that effect, but I shrugged it off as soon as the thought entered my mind. I mean, that would be a pretty suckish date now wouldn't it? "Sure," I agreed, turning back to catch her smile to herself. I guess it was pretty nice not having to be awkward around her anymore.

I definitely said that one too soon.

**…**

I'll spare you the details of the car ride since it was pretty boring stuff where we just caught back up again. It turns out that Calypso is actually pretty into this acting stuff and show business and what not. That just made me feel bad because I was pretty sucky with all of this. When I apologized, she blew it off saying that she also suggested me being Romeo, and that brings you up to speed.

"Why would you want me to be Romeo? I'm not even average in normal English," I grinned, leading her up the stairs to my room where we could practice. I figured that would be better than being in the living room or something where my mom or Paul would just make things awkward. Well, I would at least find it to be awkward, though they probably wouldn't.

"Hm," she started, following behind me only a step away, "I guess I thought we might have chemistry or something. Plus, Rachel had told me about your English grade needing help, so I thought it would be a win-win situation. It's pretty simple reasoning." And, it did make sense that we would have some form of _chemistry._ I mean, we did date at one point, though we also could have been really good at awkward-stry. Luckily, we weren't.

"Oh yeah, chemistry?" I turned my head back at her to jokingly wiggle my eyebrows. She laughed in response which I had guessed would be her reaction. From the short period that we dated, she had always found my jokes to be pretty funny. Not that I would fault her, my jokes were pretty good, if I do say so myself. "So," I stopped outside the door to my bedroom, "this is my room." I turned the knob, pushing the door open slightly and stepped back, "Ladies first."

She chuckled lightly, "Thanks," before coming in front of me to walk in. By the time she made it a step in, she stopped dead in her tracks almost causing me to bump into her. Luckily, I caught myself before I tumbled into the back of her.

"Why'd you-" I stopped the second I met the grey eyes of my best friend sitting on my bed. _This_ was not going to go over well at all. "Hey, Annabeth... Uh, you remember Calypso, right?" _Of course she remembered Calypso..._ I mean, they practically couldn't stand being in the same room for a minute before. And if they were in a room for longer than that, who knew what would happen. It was probably a good thing that never occurred before though. Well, it looked like we were all about to find out what happened when the clock surpassed a minute... I just hoped it wouldn't be ugly.

"Hi," Annabeth's lips closed tightly, barely letting the word out. In the past months, it wasn't normal for Annabeth to just show up at my house, or even be at my house at all, so how would I know that was gonna happen the one time I brought another girl home... to practice lines.

Calypso mustered a fake grin, and I inched my way around Calypso to stand between the two of them. At least if anything was going to happen, I was in the prime spot to stop any and all of it. "So, uh, Calypso was going to help me go over lines." I inwardly cringed before even seeing Annabeth purse her lips and raise her eyebrows at me. It definitely sounded worse saying it front of Annabeth since that was what _Annabeth_ was supposed to help me do.

"Oh," Annabeth spoke, the coldness coming through in her voice, "and how were you going to repay her for that?" I knew she was talking about how I offered to kiss Annabeth in return for her helping me with the lines. It never crossed my mind to offer that to Calypso, but obviously it seemed to cross Annabeth's. Or, Annabeth was just mad and was trying to make me feel guilty or something? If it was the latter, then she didn't need to even mention the repaying Calypso thing to make me feel guilty. I was already feeling it.

Obviously, Calypso wasn't aware of what Annabeth was saying, "It's not necessary. I actually care to just help Percy. I don't need anything in return for friendship." And if I didn't know any better, I would say that Calypso was taking a stab at Annabeth. But I mean, Calypso didn't really think Annabeth needed something in return for her friendship with me, right? That was pretty farfetched if you asked me.

"Mm, are you sure you're looking for _friendship_?" Annabeth asked, raising her eyebrows at Calypso. I had a feeling that we were nearing that whole over one minute mark if we hadn't passed it yet. There was definitely no chance of the two girls becoming great friends.

Calypso smiled, and I'm pretty certain it wasn't a real smile, "Unlike some, that's actually what I'm looking for."

"So..." I cleared my throat, reentering the conversation that was occurring around me. It was pretty weird having a conversation go around you yet not be a part of it. Though, I had a pretty good feeling that the whole conversation had something to do with me... "Anyone want some food?"

"No thanks," Annabeth glared at me, before directing her stare back at Calypso. I was definitely in for it when Calypso left. Maybe, I could drive Calypso home and not come back home for a couple days... Then, Annabeth might be gone when I came back.

Calypso smiled weakly at me, "Percy, I think I'm gonna go." I really felt bad that Calypso was only trying to help me, but it all kind of got ruined. If I knew that wasn't going to happen, then I wouldn't have accepted Calypso's offer. "It's obvious that I'm not exactly wanted here," she threw in with another halfhearted smiled. She really did do a good job of making me feel bad for her.

"Really, you don't have to," I said, not wanting Calypso to feel like she had to leave. Sure, I bet Annabeth wanted Calypso to leave, but it didn't mean that I did. She was becoming my friend once again after all, and I didn't expect Annabeth to be there in the first place.

She sighed, "No really, I already asked Rachel to give me a ride. She should be here in a few minutes." Calypso pushed her brown hair out of her face and behind her ear. I remembered when she used to do that when we were closer friends, before we were dating; she would always do that when she felt uncomfortable or her hair just annoyed her. I wasn't sure which it was this go around.

I scratched the back of my head, "Well, uh... at least stay up here?" I knew Annabeth probably wanted to strangle me the second I said that, however I didn't want Calypso hanging out alone downstairs feeling left out. That would suck, and I wouldn't want to do that to my friend no matter how much she and Annabeth didn't get along. This time, it wasn't about picking sides because I had no idea what side I would have wound up on if I needed to...

Annabeth cleared her throat, and I avoided whatever glare she was giving me. Although, I could still feel it on the back of my head. "Sure stay," she managed, but from the way she said it, it sounded as if it were torture for her.

So, that would wind up being pretty much the most awkward fifteen minutes of my life. "So... How's the old pops?" It was the first thing that came to mind, alright?

"Fine," Calypso answered, spinning the bottom of her hair between two fingers. It was pretty distracting with my ADHD and all.

"Oh, good," I stated, mustering up a closed grin. Apparently, Calypso wasn't too happy with me any longer as well as Annabeth. It looked like being Switzerland only made both sides mad at you…

Yeah, then I ran out of things to say for the next fourteen minutes, forty-seven seconds. So, for fourteen minutes, forty-seven seconds, it was dead silence in my room. Calypso was typing on her phone, Annabeth was reading whatever book she had on my bed, and I was sitting in a desk chair, watching my fish swim around the aquarium. I imagined the fish were telling me how awkward it was and how it sucked for me. Or, maybe that was just my thinking…

To say the least, I was pretty damn happy when the doorbell rang, and my mom called up saying Rachel was here. "So, I'll see you later," I mumbled to Calypso, spinning my desk chair away from the fish and towards her.

She smiled lightly, "Yeah, next Tuesday. Um, I think we're starting from the same place we started at today, just so you know…" Her brown eyes looked downcast, and I really did feel bad for what happened tonight, "Anyways, see you soon."

"Bye," I muttered as she turned her back and closed the door to my room. I glanced slightly at Annabeth who was sitting on my bed with an unamused expression. The only sound that I could hear was the muffled footsteps of Calypso as she descended the stairs towards the front door. When I saw that Annabeth had no intention of talking, I cleared my throat, "Hi."

She sent me a fake smile, "So, what was that about?" I could tell from the way that she moved her jaw after speaking the words that she was not at all happy.

I shrugged, "I'm in the play, remember?"

Annabeth let out an unamused cackle, "Really? I must have forgotten." Apparently, she seemed to think that I was insulting her intelligence in some way, "It must have just slipped my mind that _I_ was supposed to help you with the lines for your play. I was just catching up with an ex instead."

I shook my head, "Is this really about me hanging out with my ex?" Whether or not Annabeth realized it, there was no need to get angered about Calypso. It wasn't as if I was dumping my best friend for my ex-girlfriend or anything like that.

She blew out a breath, "She doesn't like me, Percy."

"Look… Maybe if you gave her a chance–"

"A chance?" Annabeth interrupted me, coming to her feet. She dropped the book on my bed, preferring to place her hands on her hips. "Give her a chance?"

I ran a hand through my hair angrily, "Yeah, maybe if you were actually nice to Calypso instead of taking jabs at her then she would like you. I don't blame her if she doesn't like you…" Right then and there, I knew I said the wrong thing. Too bad, it was too late for me to take it back.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, "Oh, well I'm sorry if Calypso can do no wrong." _That wasn't what I was trying to say._ "Next time, I'll just let her suggest that I need something as repayment for my friendship with you because she is _exactly_ right since she can do nothing wrong." Annabeth shook her head slightly pursing her lips together tightly.

"She wasn't saying that," I muttered, turning to my aquarium as a means to try to diffuse this argument. Breaking the flakes of fish food into smaller pieces, I knew that this wasn't one of the normal, good natured arguments that Annabeth and I normally had.

"No?" Annabeth questioned, cocking her head to the side, "Because, that sure is what it sounded like to me, and last time I checked, I was the smart one." I saw her façade crumble the moment she said that she was the smart one. Apparently, this time we both said something that we would later regret.

I chuckled harshly, "So, I'm the dumb one?"

"No," Annabeth muttered, shaking her head and dropping her hands from her hips. "Percy, I didn't mean that…"

"No, you did," I shrugged, turning to completely face Annabeth once again. "At least I'm too dumb to figure out how to use my best friend without giving a crap all because it benefits me." I didn't mean it really, or at least I didn't think I did. I was just angry and said it without thinking. I knew Annabeth wouldn't just use me like I said, or maybe I was saying what I really knew to be the truth deep down. I just wasn't sure which one was the truth.

The moment I said that, Annabeth's remorseful expression disappeared to show an angered one, "Did she tell you that too?" She barely muttered the words, the words only a whisper. It wasn't a whisper that was spoken to entrust secrets but one that was said when things were being shattered, when some part of our friendship was being shattered beyond repair. "Do you really think I would do that?"

"I don't know," I threw my hands in the air, exasperated, angered, and confused above all else.

"No," Annabeth stated icily, "I think you do or maybe you were dumb enough to come up with some crap like that." I knew she was just throwing my words back at me, but from the way she said it, it stung more than I thought her words ever would or could.

"Really?" I scrunched my eyebrows together, regarding the grey-eyed girl who stood in front of me. If I knew nothing else, I knew this girl was not my best friend. This girl was not the Annabeth Chase that I had loved as a best friend and liked as more, "Then what do you call dating every single guy in our grade? What do you call running to me whenever you're hurt? Does it even matter to you every time you make out with _me_ until you find the next guy in our grade that you haven't dated? Did you even give a crap that we were supposedly best friends?" At each question, my voice had gotten louder and firmer, my anger rising.

She licked her top then bottom lip, shaking her head slightly at the ground, "Did you even stop me? Did you even _try_ to stop me?" While her face was out of sight, her words were louder than before, matching my level, the anger laced through them.

"What the hell was I supposed to do, Annabeth?" I forced out, barely below a yell. Pushing my hair back from my forehead, I pulled at the ends angrily. How the hell was any of that my fault?

"I don't know," she laughed angrily, her grey eyes meeting mine. The different shades of greys seemed to swirl in her eyes, lighting up only briefly before turning dark. "Maybe _you_ could have done something. Maybe I did all of that because of _you._"

"No," I gritted out, frustrated, "you're not gonna blame this on me. This isn't anyone's fault but your own."

"But maybe it's your fault too, Percy!" She finally yelled, thrusting her arms outward towards her sides. Vigorously, she shook her head, turning her back towards me, "You'll never understand."

"Yeah, because you don't _tell_ me anything anymore," I clenched my teeth, pushing the words through them.

"Percy," my door opened, my mom popping her head into my room, "Annabeth? Are you guys okay?" Her brown eyes regarded us worriedly, and I now realized that my mom could probably hear, if not the words being said, but at least the muffled sounds of our voices. It was obvious that we weren't okay, but I didn't need to worry my mom about that.

"Yes," Annabeth managed to sound normal and sweet, talking before I could, "we're fine, really. I was actually just leaving." She turned to smile slightly at my mom, before grabbing her book and a white envelope I hadn't seen before.

My mom looked confused, "Oh, alright. Well, I'll let you two say your goodbyes." She left, leaving the door only slightly closed before making her way down the hall.

I turned towards Annabeth who no longer seemed to have the sweet disposition that she held when my mom was here, "I thought you were leaving." The shock and surprise crossed her face from my spoken words before she covered it up with a tense expression.

"Yes," she stated between almost closed lips. She threw the envelope at the space between us before moving towards my door. "Do whatever you what. I don't care anymore," and I knew she was truly talking about whatever was nestled inside the letter between Annabeth and I. Her eyes regarded mine for a second before she dropped her gaze and shook her head; the door slammed when she left.

The minute the door closed, everything that just happened hit me head on. Annabeth now thought that I believed she was using me. Annabeth claimed that she had done what she did because of me. Something had broken between Annabeth and me that I wasn't sure could be repaired, and above all else, I knew that all of that was my fault, not hers.

Still, I slammed back into my desk chair, staring at the space that Annabeth had once stood then regarding the place where the comforter on my bed was disheveled; Annabeth had been there too. Everywhere I looked, there seemed to be some mark of Annabeth, whether it was a card she had given me from my birthday hung on the wall, a framed picture of the two of us, or the envelope that sat a few feet in front of me. _The envelope._ It was sitting in front of me seeming not at all ruined or even crumbled, much different from the friendship that seemed to be between Annabeth and me at the moment.

I slid the wheels of my desk chair forward, stopping when the envelope lay at my feet. I grasped it lightly, not wanting to ruin the envelope itself nor whatever lay inside it. For some reason, I knew that if it stayed intact then Annabeth and I would somehow get through this. Because of that thought, I wheeled my desk chair back to my desk in order to grab a pair of scissors and carefully cut the top of the envelope. Before reaching inside, I flipped it to the front to see Annabeth's neat handwriting scribbled out my name in thick, blue letters. I knew right away that it was blue not because she had done that absentmindedly for everyone but because she had chosen the color just for my benefit.

Reaching inside, I pulled out the thick, square piece of paper, written in computer cursive. After my dyslexia gave me a tougher time than normal, I made out the words to read:

_You have been invited to the Chase New Year's Eve Party.  
>We hope that you can attend.<br>Dress: Formal but casual: nothing extremely dressy._

_Time and Date: Begins at 7p.m on Dec 31._

_There will be food, drinks, entertainment, and simply some good, ol' fun._

_Be ready to ring in the New Year, starting it out in a good way._

_Mr. and Mrs. Chase and the rest of Chase Family._

I had read it through a second time, a third, as well as a fourth. I wasn't sure whether or not I would go after what happened between Annabeth and me. In fact, I wasn't sure if Annabeth even wanted me to be there with her or not. _Do whatever you what. I don't care anymore, _her words rang through my head once again. My mother and Paul were going to be spending it with the rest of the teachers at Goode, but my mom had already said I could spend it with any of my friends instead; I knew she was talking about Annabeth specifically. I spun the card by its corners in my hand, trying to think over whether or not I should go. Glancing down at the spinning paper, I saw a flash of blue on the opposite side of the cursive letters. Stopping it from continuing to spin, I flipped it to the back, only to meet the blue handwriting of Annabeth Chase:

_Seaweed Brain,_

_I know that sounds awfully boring, but I really hope you can come._

_Otherwise, I'm going to be bored out of my mind, for sure._

_I don't know who else my parents invited, but they let me invite my friends._

_Grover can't come, Jason and Piper can't, Grover can't and Juniper can't._

_Apparently Nico has plans to spend it with his dad, so I'm happy for him._

_Thalia said that she doesn't want to get 'dressed up,' so I'm not sure_

_whether or not she will actually come to the party._

Please,_ Percy, come to the party. It won't be the same without you._

_We really haven't spent much time together this past year, and_

_I've missed you._

_Yours truly,_

_Annabeth._

I ran my eyes over the last three lines over and over, the third more than the other two, the anger from our argument starting to disappear once again. The girl who had invited me, the girl who had specifically chosen to write in blue ink, was my best friend, and she missed _me_. I shook my head, letting the argument that occurred not long ago fill my head once again. Opening a drawer, I placed the card neatly back into the envelope before tossing it away into the dark, empty drawer. Instead of flying into the back, its end got stuck under a dark, small box that could easily fit into my hand. I didn't need to open the box to know it held the owl ring I gotten Annabeth as a Christmas present. For some reason, it didn't seem right to open that box and be filled with all the memories of my best friend and me. Because from that point forward, I had tainted some parts of those memories, without even trying.

**…**

**December 29 ~ Day 6**

**…**

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><p><strong>AN: Do, do, do, do, do.<strong>

**Erm, Calypso is back, Annabeth is mad/hurt, and Percy has come to realize that he may have just ruined his friendship with Annabeth. I guess that's not the fluffiest ending to come? I really wasn't sure where this chapter was going to go in the end (I had planned a tense moment with Calypso and it being tense afterwards though for Percabeth), so that's why it took me so long to write it. (I finished the 'rough draft' of it 7.14.12.) Then, the whole fight part kind of just came as I was writing. Though now, I know what I want to happen in the next chapter, so that should be good :)**

**I'd love to know your reaction to this chapter. The good, the bad, and the ugly…**

**Also, feel free to ask me any questions that you might have,**

**~ Jam.**

**xx**

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><p><em><strong>Anonymous &amp; PMs Disabled Review Replies<strong>_

_**(Thank the gods that after this people can put a name instead of "Guest")**_

_Guest/BlueberryMuffinsForLife – Aw, thank you. I'm happy that my story can get to be the exception. No really, thank you for taking the time to read and review._

_Guest/Anonymous – Hello again, Anonymous. Thankfully people will be able to change from "Guest" again soon. Aw, thank you. Hah, yeah I just thought that it was time for Luke to make an appearance, and obviously, it would never go just perfectly with Luke around. I hope you liked this update then since you were looking forward to it :) Thank you, also, for taking the time to read and review._

_Guest "wow" – I hope that was a good wow :) Thank you (if it was) and thank you again for taking the time to read and review._

_Guest "Great chapter…Keep writing! :P" – Aw, thank you. Hah, apparently Luke isn't exactly loved in this story after that chapter. He really isn't a bad guy (or at least he isn't yet or maybe he never will be. Only I know ;p) Hm, I guess it may have been. Aw, thank you, and this is me updating ;) Also, thank you for taking the time to read and review._

_Guest "Okay Annabeth's kinda slutty in this story" – Hm, I originally was going to ask you why you thought that, and then I remembered which story this was. Hah, I suppose she may be considered that. I guess it all just depends on your viewpoint. Oh, and thank you for taking the time to read and review._

_Guest/Lilly314 – Aw, there's really no need to cry. Hahah, I do like sarcasm, and man, everyone assumes that's what will happen on Day 30. Aw, thank you. That truly means a lot to know that they're spot on character wise. Wow, I guess it really is pretty scary, and I hope this update was fast enough. Also, thank you for the second time although this time it is for taking the time to read and review._

_Guest "I love it. Eeee…" - Aw, thank you! Hahah, one day- I took the pun for that one even though I'm sure it wasn't intended. I hope this is me updating fast enough :) Also, thank you again for taking the time to read and review._

_Guest "OMG THIS IS ADORABLE" – Aw, thank you. I'm glad you like it, and thank you, again, for taking the time to read and review._

_Guest "DAMNIT!...Update please." – I'm glad that you've liked it thus far. I hope this was enough of a "more" for you as it was above my normal 4k words. Also, thank you for taking the time to read and review._

_Guest/B – Yeah, hah, I do guess that it is. I had to take care of finals and such, and then other aspects of life just seemed to get in the way. Aw, thank you, and thank you again for taking the time to read and review. I hope that this chapter lived up to the wait._

_Guest "I really liked it but please hurry with next chapter!" – I like to think that isn't a but ;p But anywho, thank you, and I hope this chapter was fast enough for you. Also, thank you again for taking the time to read and review._

_EpicNinja8 – Aw, thank you. Hahah, finally someone who sees it the way I do. I kid, I kid. I just didn't think much of him as a "villain" or anything like that. Thank you again for taking the time to read and review._

_Guest/The Man In The Cor__ner__ – honestly, I'm ridiculously lazy, and I already replied to you in the PM. So, I'll save myself a few keystrokes and not just retype what I already typed. So thank you, and thank you for taking the time to read and review._


	8. Day 8

**Only Thirty Days  
>Summary: <strong>Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: **_XOsweetPURPLEcandyOX, Tajee165, JayJay-Lynn, HannaBananaTwinny, TheHoff, WisestOwl, flyonfan14, littlebitclever, Mookeypoop, yanksrock615, Phantomcharm, trangnha, CimFan, Isis-Rose Moon, Agent Astro Zombie, coolperce, Anon101, envelope123, MrOnlineDork, nerdygangsta, AtlantaJackson95, Iruchi-chan, Fortune24, B, Taffeh. A. Llama, seaweedbrainsgirl717, kookiie, Theseus xx, Mitzipitzi, The-MAN-in-the-c, bookwormlover12, Flower5450_.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I don't own PJO…

**A/N: **So, I guess you guys are about to experience my version of angst. Personally, I like to think that it's different from that of most fanfic writers, but I guess we shall see. Hm, I don't really have much to prelude to, but I suppose I'll say that this chapter really is not at all "angsty" compared to the last. Maybe just maybe you all won't think it is at all. I guess we shall see.

**Hope you enjoy.**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 8<span>  
><strong>

I suppose there's no need in boring you with my thinking over of Annabeth extending to me the invitation to go to her New Year's Eve Party. In fact, Day 7 would have pretty much looked like this: _I woke up, decided not to go to the party, ate blue pancakes, decided to go to the party, went for a swim, decided not to go to the party, ate lunch, decided to go to the party, decided not to go, decided to go, decided not to go, decided to…_ Yeah, I think you get the point. And when I wasn't thinking about the party, I was beating myself up about the fight I had with Annabeth. So, let's just say that Day 7 really wasn't that eventful…

**…**

**Day 8.**

I walked the slush-covered sidewalks of New York, not knowing exactly where I was going. It was probably a dumb idea to only wear a hoodie as a jacket in December in New York, but my mind was focused on other things: Annabeth, our argument, and the New Year's Eve party. I had already told my mom and Paul that I wasn't going to go to the teachers' party with them, so I basically had the whole night to myself. Normally, I didn't walk the streets of New York when I could have the entire house to myself, but something about being home was suffocating – all the memories of Annabeth seemed to be strangling all the happiness I could have gained from being home alone. Still, being in the streets of New York didn't seem to help much at all.

I watched my breath float out white in the cold air before disappearing amongst the flurry of snowflakes that had begun to fall. By that time, I had been aimlessly walking for maybe an hour or more, occasionally bumping into a person when I was completely lost in thought. It wasn't until the lack of people surrounding me that I realized I had brought myself to the familiar house of Annabeth Chase. There were multiple cars lined up in the driveway, filed out onto the curb, and I had to slide between two in order to walk along their lawn. It was pretty bitter sweet to be honest. There were so many memories that came flooding into my head as my feet crunched into the fresh snow, bringing me closer to the front door. Only I didn't go to the door, as I pushed my hood over my head, I stood angled at the slightly frosted window, lit well. Glancing in, I felt something stir when my eyes laid their sight on Annabeth, moving her finger around the rim of her Champaign glass, but I assumed it was filled with something like apple juice. The gloomy look on her face did nothing to match exactly how—how amazing she looked in her partially grey dress.

I didn't know how long I stood there, but it was long enough to watch her glance towards her door often and halfheartedly talk to the rest of the guests at the party. I knew that she was looking for me, or well I had hoped, yet I couldn't bring myself to knock on her door and enter her house. Sure, I knew it would probably make her happy, but I wasn't sure if it was right for me to be there after our argument; heck, Annabeth might not have even been looking for me in the first place. _I just wasn't sure of anything,_ I realized, stuffing my chapping hands into my pants pockets. My right hand brushed up against the velvet box, it feeling like the only sure thing that very second. I pulled it out and opened the box, looking down at the owl ring that I had specifically picked with Annabeth in mind. Sure, Annabeth and I had our disagreements – a lot of them – however we were still best friends nonetheless; that ring was just proof of it. I blew out another breath, placing the box in my pocket as I made way to the front door of the Chase's house.

From that moment on, there would be no turning back.

**…**

I had been standing in the corner of the Chase household, having not been noticed by Annabeth yet. It was Mrs. Chase, Annabeth's step-mom, who opened the door and welcomed me in, saying she was glad I came and wasn't sure where Annabeth was. That was a relief to me, so I chose an empty corner to make myself home. It was definitely one of those parties that the Chase's would hold; probably every single person in that room, with the exception of me, Annabeth, Bobby, and Mathew, had some sort of degree. To say the least, I felt really out of place and continuously patted my head to push my messy hair down. I didn't think it was doing much for it though, no matter how hard I tried to fix it. Still, it was better than nothing.

It wasn't for a few more minutes that my eyes locked with Annabeth's, who was maybe fifteen steps away from me. If she looked amazing outside, let me just say that she looked a hundred times better inside. For a second, I could see the happiness that lit up her eyes before she cocked her head slightly at me and then ended all eye contact. She had been talking to someone, so it was no surprise to me that she broke eye contact. Still, I gazed at her in her light pink and grey dress until she ended the conversation and made her way over to me. As much as I would have liked to break eye contact from her, I couldn't help but meet my green eyes with her grey as she walked towards me. "Hi," I mustered when she finally stood in front of me.

She gave me a slight smile, mumbling, "Hey." I guessed she still wasn't too happy about the whole argument, and I couldn't blame her.

I shot her back a smile, scratching the back of my head while the two of us stood in silence. To say the least, it was pretty awkward and weird. Normally, whenever there was a silence between Annabeth and me, it was comfortable, but this one was nothing like that. It was one of those awkward silences where you wished _something, anything, _would break that silence, but it seemed like it was either going to have to be Annabeth or me. And well, it didn't look like Annabeth planned on talking anytime soon… I cleared my throat, dropping my hand to my side, "That's a nice dress."

Annabeth scrunched her eyebrows together, "Christine picked it out." The way she fingered the bottom of her dress made it obvious that she wasn't entirely comfortable in it. That surprised me since lately I had seen her in less clothes, and she seemed perfectly comfortable in them. Well, you know what I meant…

"It's nice," I gave her a weak smile, trying to reassure her that she didn't need to feel uncomfortable in it.

She grabbed the curled end of braid, playing with it between her fingers, "I know, you already said that." Her grey eyes seemed to be looking everywhere but at me. I guessed I couldn't blame her for that one either.

"I know," I said, dropping my gaze to my shoes, "but this time I meant on you. You look nice in it…" When I brought my eyes back up to hers, her grey eyes regarded me quizzically as if trying to figure out whether or not I was sincere. Believe me, I was definitely sincere – there was no other reason for me saying it. I just hoped Annabeth would believe me.

"Thanks, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth chuckled at my reaction to her saying my nickname. Yeah, I definitely wasn't expecting that one, and my face definitely showed it. And for the first time, it seemed like maybe Annabeth and I could get past the argument that we had yesterday: maybe everything wasn't ruined like I thought it was. Maybe, we could work things out.

Well, do you remember when at the very beginning I said things wouldn't be easy? Yeah, well, if not, you might want to make note of that one for future reference.

"Annabeth," a voice stated before I could talk, placing their hands on Annabeth's shoulders, "I've been looking for you." I leaned against the wall, taking in the surprised look on Annabeth's face and the grin on Luke's. Sure, Luke had tried to talk or work things out with Annabeth a few days ago, but I figured that she would have told me if they had made any sort of progress. Then and again, Annabeth and I might have gotten into our argument before she even had the chance to tell me…

"Luke," I nodded curtly, reminding him that I was still here, and it wasn't just Annabeth who was there. I crossed my arms tightly as I regarded the blonde boy in front of me with a nasty scar.

"Percy," he grinned towards me, rubbing his hands along Annabeth's shoulders. I locked my eyes on his hands' movements before meeting the gaze of Luke once again. He lifted his hands off Annabeth's shoulders to stand next to her.

Annabeth side stepped to stand at the tip of our weird triangle position, glancing between the two of us, "Luke, what are you doing here?" _Ah, so she didn't invite him._

He pushed his hand into his dress pant pocket, "Yeah, your parents invited me. I hoped that you wouldn't mind me being here since we broke up and all. I mean, I figured that you had told them to invite me or something…" His blue eyes glanced at me and then Annabeth, unsure now if Annabeth even wanted him there. If you asked me, he deserved to stand in the same place that I did earlier: unsure of where he stood with Annabeth. Well, I was still sort of in that position as well…

She brought her glass to mouth, swallowing almost half before speaking, "Um, yeah, it's great that you were able to make it." Her mouth turned into a light smile, but her face showed how uncomfortable she was in the whole situation.

I shrugged, "She didn't invite you, Luke. It was all her parents." Sure, I might have been in a bad mood since Luke was there, but I wasn't going to sit back and let him think that this was Annabeth's attempt at making things work out between them.

He watched me wearily, "I see." His gaze shifted to Annabeth, looking for her to dispute it, but when she only glanced at her glass, it was obvious that what I said was right. "So, I'm guessing that you didn't know that I was coming then…"

"No," Annabeth stated, running her finger along the brim of her glass once again.

"Well," Luke began, running a hand through his hair uncomfortably, "I guess I should be thanking your parents then and be heading out."

Annabeth's head shot up, "No really, you don't need to leave Luke." And for the first time, I wasn't sure if I should be feeling bad for the guy or hate him because he had dated Annabeth, that being only a part of the reason for why I would hate him.

He shrugged, "Really, it's no big deal. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything because your parents didn't exactly know where we stood. It's not a big deal. I'll just go hang out or something…"

"Just stay," I stated, regarding the thankful look that Annabeth had and the surprised one on Luke's face. I pushed out a frustrated breath, not sure why I was trying to convince Luke to stay, "Look, it's New Year's Eve, and it's frickin' crappy weather right now."

"Annabeth!" One of the many guests exclaimed, breaking the tension between the three of us. Annabeth sent a 'sorry' smile before being pulled away by one of her parents' friends. If she hadn't left me alone with Luke, I probably would have been thinking how much it sucked that she had to be the perfect daughter tonight for her parents.

I shifted my position against the wall, losing sight of Annabeth amongst the rest of the guests. Turning my attention to Luke, I met his blue eyes which I figured had been regarding me from the second Annabeth had left. His expression was stern, "So, why'd you try to convince me to stay?"

I shrugged, not entirely sure why I did it myself, but I chalked it up to, "The weather is horrible, and it's New Year's Eve. Exactly what I told you before." I may have felt bad for the guy for a second, but that didn't mean I didn't forget that he had dated and dumped Annabeth.

He shook his head, "Percy, we both know that you hate me."

I chuckled, "You make it sound like it's a one way thing."

He scratched his head, "Look, you're not my favorite person, but for Annabeth's sake, I think that we should try to get along or something." He quickly glanced in the direction that Annabeth had gone, concern notably on his face.

Raising my eyebrows, I spoke again, "What do you mean for Annabeth's sake? You dumped her." I stood up so that I was no longer leaning against the wall. Granted, Luke had a few inches on me, but I wasn't going to let him feel as though he could intimidate me in any way.

"I had my reasons," his blue eyes turned icy for a few seconds before he shook his head. "I'm betting Annabeth didn't tell you why I broke up with her," he shrugged, taking a sip of whatever was in his glass. "I guess your friendship isn't exactly what she had made it out to be."

I shook my head, laughing unamused, "Everyone has their problems, Luke. You should know that. I'm just not one to cut all ties when one little problem happens." I knew it was a low dig, but I didn't regret it for a second. Sure, Annabeth and I were having more than a few problems that second, but it seemed like we might have been able to get over them before Luke came.

He let out a breath, "Ah, trust me, you have no idea about me, Percy. So look, I'm not trying to cause any problems, especially not today at Annabeth's house. What I'm looking for is at least a truce or something between us, alright? We just put aside our differences and try to become friends for Annabeth's sake."

I moved my head from side-to-side, considering exactly what Luke was proposing. Sure, it would make things easier, except it made no difference now whether or not Luke and I got along now that he and Annabeth broke up. To anyone else, it probably looked like the two of us were just having a conversation about which team would make it to the Super Bowl. That definitely was not what was running through my mind, though. "Look, I still don't get what any of this has to do with Annabeth," I shook my head while saying it.

He wiped his mouth, the scar on his face becoming highlighted in the light, "I don't need to tell you that Annabeth is special, alright? Look, I'm just trying not to let anything get in the way of my chances with Annabeth."

"You already had your chance with her, and you're suggesting that I'm getting in the way of them?" I laughed, not believing that Luke really thought that I was somehow getting in the way of his chances with Annabeth when he, not I, had already dated her, "Seriously, that's ridiculous."

"Nah," Luke pursed his lips, regarding me wearily, "you're her best friend, Percy. She'll put you before any other guy in her life, and either we guys accept that or we're out." He rubbed his chin, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he stepped closer to me.

Sure, Annabeth and I had always put our friendship between anything and everything, but Annabeth's many boyfriends over the years had seemed to be her one exception to the rule. So, I wasn't exactly sure that I was following everything that Luke was saying. "What are you suggesting, Luke?"

He smiled slightly, knowing that I would at least hear him out now, "Look, I think that we could be friends, or we could at least try at it."

I raised my eyebrows, not exactly sure that attempting to be friends would even work out between us, "You still like her, don't you?" It was the only reason that made sense for him trying to get on a good foot with me. Otherwise, why would he even care whether or not we got along? The answer is it wouldn't have made a difference.

"Could you blame me?" He glanced off towards the direction that Annabeth had gone, and I did the same, not catching sight of her.

I smiled inwardly, knowing exactly how easy it was to develop feelings for Annabeth, "No, I really can't." And if you ever meet that girl, you will know exactly what I was saying. And if you've already met, then you know exactly what I meant.

He extended his hand out towards me, "What do you say? We shake on it?"

I shrugged, knowing that it really couldn't do me much harm to attempt to get along with him. Worse came the worse, it just wouldn't work out, and we'd go back to hating each other. "Sure," I said, "I've got nothing to lose," and I shook his hand.

**…**

I should probably point out that Luke wasn't half bad without Annabeth being around us. Sure, every so often I would remember that he was still going for Annabeth and that reminded me why I couldn't stand him, but other than that he was a pretty cool guy. At the same time, it reminded me that I still didn't know why he and Annabeth had broken up, yet I had a feeling that I wouldn't be hearing it from Annabeth anytime soon.

"So," Luke nodded, no longer regarding me with some sort of hatred, "how is Percy Jackson doing in the dating department?" Still, I could have sworn that there was some sort of motive behind him asking me this question. There was something different about the way he brought this subject up out of the blue than the other easy-going conversations we had been having. Nonetheless, I shrugged it off as him trying his best to get to know me.

I chuckled, "Not too well I guess." Sure, there were apparently countless girls that had liked me at some time or another, yet they weren't the girl that I had my sight on: Annabeth.

"Nah," Luke side hit my arm, having a knowing look in his eye, "I think that you were doing pretty well, I mean Calypso? She's definitely a ten at the least." He lowered his voice, ensuring that the rest of the guests didn't hear the conversation that we were having. I couldn't blame him; a lot of the guys here looked pretty damn strung up. And by that, I meant that it looked that they hadn't even been to a single, _real_ party in their life – family birthday parties definitely didn't count nor did this one.

I smirked, "I made out pretty well, didn't I?" It was weird having someone to talk to about girls since basically all of my normal friends knew how much I liked Annabeth. Somehow, it seemed to have come to define me around them, so having Luke was pretty nice – I wasn't the guy who liked his best friend to him.

"Dude, I think you did a bit better than that," he raised his eyebrows suggestively, downing whatever was left in his glass. "You need a glass," he nodded towards me, looking around for wherever he could get a refill for him and a glass for me.

I shrugged, "I guess, and nah, really, I'm good." For some reason, I had a feeling that whatever Luke was drinking wasn't alcohol free. Sure, I had mistakenly drunk alcohol at a party a couple of times, but I really wasn't into that stuff, truth be told.

He looked at me skeptically, "Percy, I'm not getting drunk or anything. It's sparkling cider, chill out, man." We both laughed at my original thought that Luke was just getting drunk at the Chase's party, "I'm really not into the whole party scene. Sure, they're fun, but I don't go to them to get drunk. Plus, I'm always the designated driver anyways." He shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing that he wasn't one of the people complaining about a hangover from the weekend on Monday.

"Oh nice," I said, surprised that Luke seemed to be pretty cool despite what I originally thought about him. Look, I'll be honest: I thought he was the one that got drunk and couldn't remember that he had left his car at home. "Guess I should apologize for thinking you were one of the drunks."

"Yeah sure," he blew it off, loosening the tie around his neck, seeming uncomfortable, "but back on track." It was obvious that he didn't like talking about drinking and people getting drunk. I would remember to ask about that some other time, though, "So, what happened with you and Calypso?"

"It just didn't work out," I said matter-of-factually, not needing to tell him how I had used her to make Annabeth jealous. For one, he was Annabeth's ex and still liked her, and for another, I planned to keep Luke out of the loop of knowing that I liked Annabeth as more than a friend.

He shook his head, "I know what it's like, man." Luke crossed his arms, regarding me questioningly, "Still, I think she still likes you." His eyes watched for my reaction, but I didn't give him one.

Though I looked pretty nonchalant about it, I was honestly pretty confused, surprised, and well confused about the whole thing. I meant, Calypso had said only a couple days ago that she only liked me as a friend, but Annabeth thought that Calypso liked me as more. Sure, I only shot it off as Annabeth not liking Calypso and all, but what if Annabeth and Luke were right? Look, it made no difference to me either way in terms of Calypso, but that was a part of the argument Annabeth and I had gotten into… "What makes you so sure?"

He shrugged, "Just a guess. Plus, she's a friend of mine, sort of, so I'm just looking out for her best interest. Anyways, she was pretty hurt when you dumped her, and I know she never got the closure she was looking for," he leaned up against the wall, looking serious again. It was weird how he could go from joking to serious so quickly, "Just give her the closure she needs so that she can move on, alright? Cause from what I know, you pretty much dumped her without giving her a reason."

I scratched the back of my head, uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken, "Alright, I'll see what I can do…" Because really, what could I have said to Calypso to give her real closure? I wasn't going to tell her my real reason for dating her and breaking up with her, so what was there for me to do?

"You had better, Percy," he stated with a threatening tone, his blue eyes set on mine. I had to give it to him: he could be pretty intimidating when he wanted to be. There was something about Luke that made him seem like he had been through a lot to make him older than he was, sterner, and somehow hateful. I definitely didn't want to end up on his bad side due to Calypso. Plus, he seemed like he might just be a good friend to have when it came down to a fight, even though he did have a mean scar that could have come from losing a fight.

I nodded, wanting to change the subject of conversation, "So… Where do I get a class of that cider…?" It was a pretty lame attempt, but it at least gave me reason to look away from Luke and even walk away from him. I didn't need some weird conversation about what my intentions may have been, and it looked like that might have been where it was going…

"Frederick this is ridiculous!" A shrill voice seemed to echo over everyone else's. If I wasn't mistaken, that was the voice of Christine Chase, Annabeth's step-mom. I had never actually heard her yell before that point in time, not even when reprimanding Mathew and Bobby, so I gotta say I wasn't too sure that I wasn't mistaken.

Everyone's conversations seemed to end, making it easy to hear what was occurring, "Look, can't we just have this conversation later? We have guests that we need to get back to." I could hear the worry in Mr. Chase's voice even though I couldn't see either Mr. or Mrs. Chase.

"Oh, why? So you can look like a hotshot in front of them all?" Mrs. Chase pushed through the kitchen door, her hands on her hips with Mr. Chase seeming to be in hot pursuit.

"Christine," his voice was softer, taking in all the looks from the guests, "we can handle this later or outside or something. It's almost midnight." And he was right, it was eleven fifty-one from the clock on the wall, although I wasn't certain whether or not it was correct. Plus, I was on his side. Almost anything could probably wait for them to have that conversation in private.

She shook her head, "Of course you would mention that! It would just be another excuse for you to take another drink without me being able to make a big deal out of it." That was a pretty odd thing to say because from what I knew people normally kissed when the clock struck twelve... "This whole party," she gestured towards everyone around her, "was just an excuse for you to get drunk again, and by having them around, you figured that I wouldn't take notice of it or bring it up."

"Christine-"

"Oh no," she shook her head more vigorously, obviously angry, "don't try to 'Christine' your way out of this. You know what, Frederick? I noticed it! I noticed that you're a drunk and need help, but I tried to play it off as if you weren't. And guess what, I was just stupid to try to think that maybe if I acted like that wasn't the case then it would all go away." Mrs. Chase turned her back on him, walking in a circle as if trying to calm down some. I glanced around the room, trying to catch sight of Annabeth, but I couldn't seem to find her. No matter what weird state we were in, I knew that this wasn't something that she wanted to happen, especially not in front of so many people, and I genuinely felt bad for her. "And you know what," Mrs. Chase turned around again, pointing an accusing finger at Mr. Chase, "don't think I didn't notice where all of your paychecks disappeared to every week. I should have known that you weren't working with Mike on some project every time you came home late because when I brought it up he had no idea about it. But no, I gave you the benefit of the doubt still. So, one time I cleared out your pockets before washing your pants and found a receipt from a bar. And then, I found another and another and another. I found the empty bottles in the recycling and the multiple packs of beer in the garage freezer. No wonder you never wanted me to go in there! I should have known," she screamed, her voice cracking at the last word she spoke. She shook her head, sobs starting to wrack through her body.

"Please," Mr. Chase mumbled, coming to stand in front of her, only for Mrs. Chase to turn her back to him. "It's not what you think," he slurred, falling to his knees behind her seeming desperate for her to understand. I saw Luke shake his head out of the corner of me eye, completely disgusted.

"I can't… I can't deal with this," Mrs. Chase managed through sobs as she made her way to the kitchen, a few other women following her in tow. I glanced towards the stairs and barely made eye contact with Annabeth before she ran up the stairs. From the split second look that I got, I could seem the hurt and sadness covering her face.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, "You go after her, and I'll take care of the party." It was Luke, and when I didn't move he pushed me forward, "Go, Percy. She doesn't need me, alright? She needs you right now. I'll take care of the rest of the guests." I nodded, pushing through the crowd of people, stopping short when I made it to the front.

There was still a clearing between the guests and Mr. Chase. He still remained on his knees, running his hands angrily through his hair. He glanced up, "Percy!" I raised my eyebrows, the rest of the guests glancing towards me and whispering. Perfect, now they all probably thought I had some idea of what had been going on or something. When I didn't say anything, he spoke again, "Percy, please…" His voice cracked, the slur still obvious as he put his arm out towards me.

"Um, yeah?" I took a few step forwards, my voice sounding weird as if it wasn't actually mine. Awkwardly, I glanced around, wondering where Luke was while this was happening. He was supposed to be attempting to handle the party right now…

"You gotta believe me, Percy," he shook his head, watching me with bloodshot eyes. He seemed weak with disheveled hair and different from any other time I had ever seen him before in my life. This was not the Mr. Chase I had known, "You know I wouldn't do this to my family!" He pleaded to me, but I couldn't seem to shake this weird feeling that this wasn't really Mr. Chase. I knew it was, but I didn't want to believe that this had come of the man who I had once looked up to for so long.

I scratched the back of my head, "I don't think you would do this on purpose…" And that was the truth, I didn't think he would purposefully ruin his family and marriage. Or well, that's where it looked like it was going towards to me…

He smiled, "I knew you would understand." His hand grabbed my arm, pulling himself up. I could smell the alcohol coming off his breath, almost seeming as though he had even spilled it on himself, "Now, Percy, whatever you do, don't give into some argument… or fight or… whatever you have when …you know you're right." Mr. Chase tapped my shoulder roughly, "Cause… as much as I wanna work things out with Christine and— and me, I'm not just gonna give in to do it. Cause… Cause I'll regret that. So, you don't… just give in, alright Percy? That would just be… plain stupid and – and dumb," he popped the 'd' sending alcohol smelling breath into my face.

I held back a cough and nodded my head, pushing him towards their bathroom, "Yeah, I got it. Mr. Chase, I think you should take care of some things in there." He looked confused, stumbling for a few more steps, until he bent over as though he were about to throw up. I guided him a bit further into the bathroom and left him there, knowing that there was someone else I needed to get to now.

Turning around, I nodded my head at Luke who nodded back at me shortly before he began. "Alright, so there's nothing to see here now. I get that things turned south, but I know Mr. and Mrs. Chase would want this party to continue on as it was supposed to," I made my way up the stairs, knowing that Luke could deal with that on his own. "So I say that when the clock is about to strike twelve, we still give it a good countdown. I know you're all probably wondering why you should listen to some high school…" His voice was drowned out when I made it to the second floor, moving toward the door that I knew belonged to Annabeth's room. I only hoped that Mr. and Mrs. Chase's voices didn't wake up Mathew and Bobby.

I stopped in front of the door, hearing sniffling that I knew belonged to Annabeth and no one else. I couldn't remember how long it had been since I had heard Annabeth cry, but I knew it had been a pretty long time. Letting out a shaky breath, I pushed through the door to see Annabeth on her bed, tear drops covering her once light grey dress. She lifted her head at the creak of the door, only to drop it again when she saw that it was me. For a few seconds, I stood there watching, not sure if I should really be there, our argument running through my head again. If I was honest, it still angered me that very second, but I pushed it away knowing that an argument wouldn't stop Annabeth from helping me if I needed it. Taking large strides, I sat myself next to Annabeth, clasping my hands in my lap. I knew that she didn't need me to say some reassuring words or anything as she would talk when she was ready; it took a few minutes for her to get her sobs under control, "They've been arguing for a while." She mumbled it into her lap, not even looking up at me.

I raised my eyebrows, surprised that they had been having problems, "Oh?" I knew that Annabeth didn't want my opinion on their arguing, so I placed my arm around her waist, pulling her into my shoulder.

She began to sob again, the tears feeling cold as they seeped through my blue dress shirt. I rubbed her back, trying to comfort her, trying to let her know that I was here when she was ready, "Yeah but they never did it in front of Mathew, Bobby or me. It was always at night when they thought we were all asleep. I could hear their muffled yelling even though my door was closed. Luckily, Mathew and Bobby are heavy sleepers," she chuckled lightly before silently crying again. "You know, I didn't think it would be this bad… They were fine for a while, … and then this all happened today. I figured they were arguing over money or something, not about…" She sighed, taking in a few deep breaths before continuing, "I didn't think my dad was a drunk."

"You had no reason to," I mumbled, wishing for anything that this didn't happen to Annabeth of all people.

"I feel dumb you know," she brought her head off my shoulder to look into my eyes. The grey was stormy, and there were read streaks in the whites of her eye, "I should have… I should have been able to do something, but I just stood there and watched."

I chuckled lightly, causing her to look confused, "You're really going to come down on yourself for not doing something about that argument? I mean, most people would be angered at their parents or something, but of course you're just blaming yourself for not coming up with some plan or something." And for a second, Annabeth smiled before chuckling also with me. For a second, she was the Annabeth that was my best friend, before we had our argument and problems. Though, that only lasted for that second; it all ended when she stopped chuckling, and it seemed to dawn on the two of us that we too had our own set of problems. I sighed, removing my arm from Annabeth's waist, "You're not dumb, you know… for wanting to believe something good about your dad."

She shrugged, breaking her eye contact from me as I did the same, "Thank you for being here for me, even though…" Her voice trailed off, and I heard the hollowed voices of people saying _ten: _the countdown to a new year.

I hadn't made a resolution, and I knew that there was no point in coming up with one in these few seconds. These few seconds weren't meant for that but to just be there for Annabeth. _Nine._ "Don't mention it," I shrugged, scratching the back of my head again uncomfortably.

_Eight._ She raised her eyes to meet mine, cocking her head to the side, "You didn't have to come up here and talk to me."

_Seven._ "I don't have to do a lot of things, but I still do." This wasn't a big deal, so there was no need for her to thank me or anything like that. _Six._ I did what I did because… I'm not entirely sure why, but I knew that it was what I was supposed to do. She was still Annabeth, and Annabeth was the girl who was my best friend. _Five._ "There's no need to thank me or anything," I added on, not wanting to have Annabeth thank me once again for me just being a good friend and what not.

_Four._ Instead of thanking me, she regarded me quizzically with her grey eyes boring into my green. I broke my eye contact from her, noticing the muddled images I could see in my black shoes. _Three._ There was nothing extremely clear but mainly colored blobs that represented different things: the light in her room, my hands, and some other stuff that I couldn't make out. "Well," Annabeth spoke, causing me to lift my head and meet her gaze. _Two._ She barely smiled, running her tongue along her bottom lip, "I hope that…" She blinked her eyes a few times, pushing back the tears that had started to form again in her grey eyes. _One._ "I just hope things are different this time," she mumbled, barely loud enough for me to hear as I watched the different emotions behind her grey eyes. And at that second, Annabeth pressed her lips to mine.

_Zero. Happy New Year._

**…**

**December 31 ~ Day 8**

**…**

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><p><strong>AN: Well, I guess that might be a cliffhanger? I mean, it is just the end of a day like all the chapters, right? Alright, so maybe this one is a little different… So, I kind of like my version of Luke, although I don't know if you guys will after his first appearance. Welp, I have an idea of what will happen in the next chapter, so that should be fun to write I suppose. Oh yeah, at the beginning that was Percy talking in the present (the part between "Chapter 8" and "Day 8.")<strong>

**I guess I really don't have much to say this go around. So, I would love to know what you guys thought of this chapter and any suggestions you may have.**

**Oh yeah, feel free to ask me any questions you may have,**

**~ Jam.**

**P.S. If you're a visual person, the link to Annabeth's dress is on my profile.**

**xx**

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><p><em><strong>Replies to Anonymous Reviews<strong>_

Coolperce – So, I'm assuming you mean the hurry as in hurry and get them together? And, I'm not entirely sure what you're referring to as getting boring? As in, the story overall? But then, at the end it sort of seems like you were being sarcastic… Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read and review, and I would love it if you could clarify on your review.

Anon101 – Aw, thank you! I do plan to keep updating, although my updates will start to get more sporadic soon, but that won't be for a bit I suppose. Yeah, hah, I find good grammar to be pretty important overall. Thank you for wishing me luck, and thank you again for taking the time to read and review.

Envelope123 – Err, what's DTR? Ah yes, she shall, I suppose. I guess it all depends on what you consider pretty. I hope this update is soon enough. And also, thank you for taking the time to read and review.

B – Aw, thank you: I'm glad that it did. Well, I guess you now know what Percy decided to do, and hm, I'm not too sure if he exactly made things up… I guess time shall tell for that. Also, thank you again for taking the time to read and review.

The-MAN-in-the-c – Hm, I guess I don't really consider it as dropping the bomb since it wasn't really an outright reveal of anything. Ah yes, only time will tell as to whether or not they will be able to get over this bump in the road. Hm, I pretty much think that almost anyone can really get over something, within limits of course, especially when it's really just an argument pertaining to feelings that had been building up for so long. But anywho, we shall see how it all falls together or apart. Thank you for taking the time to read and review.


	9. Day 9

**Only Thirty Days  
>Summary: <strong>Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: **_Tajee165, WisestOwl, flyonfan14, Mookeypoop, XOsweetPIRPLEcandyOX, AntiThalico, yanksrock615, Loc Dog, envelope123, TheHoff, nerdygangsta, Theseus xx, joloco311, Agent Astro Zombie, Sneaky ninja 05, CimFan, Like it, omgiloveit, ChildOfWisdom, booklover484, imbetterthanyou238, seaweedbrainsgirl717, Mitzipitzi, B, Formerly-Known-As-Devil, leprechaunlady, Guest, Allsta__r Weekend Fanatic, Guest, Guest.  
><em>**Disclaimer: **I don't own PJO…

**A/N: **Well, I only have the reminder that Annabeth kissed Percy, not the other way around. The only other thing to say is welcome to my form of angst.

Also, there is a section referring back to a flashback in Chapter 1 (anything that mentions eighth grade).

**Here's the end of the cliffhanger.**

**xx**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 9<span>  
><strong>

**Day 9.**

Her lips brushed against mine into what some might call blissful oblivion, only I didn't forget. I remembered the fight we had before. I remembered the words we yelled to each other without taking a second to think. I remembered the anger that coursed through my veins as she dumped me time and time again for her next boyfriend. I remembered how we weren't even official. I remembered how Luke was merely a staircase away. I remembered how she was hurting. And the hurt that she felt, I remembered that it was more than likely what drove her to press her lips against mine – to take away the pain. The only problem was: I remembered too much. I remembered that I didn't want to simply be her human pain killer, and I couldn't seem to forget a thing.

I pulled my lips away from hers, standing up from the bed, "I can't do this, Annabeth." Backing away from the bed, the anger and hurt started to fill me up once again as her grey eyes regarded me with confusion. _This isn't what I want,_ I kept repeating in my head as to stop myself from allowing her to kiss me again: to stop myself from falling into the hated routine. _I can't keep doing this._

"What do you mean?" Her voice sounded weak, echoing her appearance. Dried tear tracks ran along her cheeks making her look the weakest I had ever seen her. Maybe that was what drove her to kiss me all along: her weakness. Maybe she only felt strong when she had someone caring for her, liking her, loving her. But the idea of just being that _thing_ for her, I couldn't do that anymore.

I shook my head, pacing slightly to keep my anger down, "Annabeth, I can't keep being the person you run to when you're hurt."

She raised an eyebrow, suspicion filling out the grey eyes that I had come so used to loving, to seeing, "Percy, that's what best friends do. They're there for each other when the other person needs it…" As she trailed off, the uncertainty filled her voice. It was obvious that she didn't know what I was getting at, and I wasn't too certain that I knew either.

I sighed, hoping that my anger would leave with the breath, "I know it is…" This was harder than I thought it would be, telling her that I couldn't do this anymore. Except, I wasn't entirely sure what I meant by _this._ Did I mean our entire friendship? The benefits? Our problems? It all swirled in my head into the realm of confusion and was amplified by the hurt that I was still feeling from our previous argument.

"So," she began, cocking her head slightly to the right, "are you saying you don't want to be best friends anymore?" Her voice was devoid of emotion much like when she would state facts of knowledge that held no real interest to her. It was merely something that she had picked up along the way and had no true effect on her overall. I could only hope that our friendship was more than a scattered piece of knowledge.

I ran a hand over my mouth, knowing that this wasn't going anywhere fast, "No, I'm saying that I want to be just _that._" As I said each word of the sentence, I could feel my anger picking up as well as the sound of my voice. I didn't want to do this, and I didn't need to do this now. Her father was just revealed as a drunk, so there had to be a better time than now. Only, I couldn't seem to find a better time than the present.

I watched as her eyes regarded mine, a slight amount of amusement and disappointment playing out in them, "That's what we are, Percy…" Her voice hinted at her wanting to laugh as if I were speaking incoherently or unsure as to what I was talking about this time. It hinted at her thought that _I _was _dumb_, and she was superior to me. It hinted at her wanting to smile at my ideas, thoughts, and suggestions.

Swallowing hard, I hoped my anger would stay down. It wouldn't. "I can't do _this_, Annabeth. I can't just be the person that you drag along and kiss until you find your next boyfriend. I can't keep putting my life on hold just to wait for when you're going to come back to me and decide you want to be best friends again. I can't keep being everything that you need when you're _nothing_ that I need! All of this, I don't need _this_ anymore." Knowing that this would only turn into a worse argument, I brought myself towards the door, swinging it open but turning around before I left. "What I need is the Annabeth that you were years ago, back in middle school. Not this poser." My voice shook with anger as Annabeth clenched her fists tightly before releasing them.

"I'm not the same person that I was back then, Percy. I grew up. You're not the same person either," she shook her head, the anger seeming to be lacking from her side. It was much like a mother scolding a child at their misinformation instead of two _friends_ being on different sides of an argument.

I was tired of this; I was tired of the arguments, the condescension, the using that had just become a normal ritual between us, "I'm the same person, Annabeth. I'm the same exact person that you kissed four years ago. And you know what, maybe you are that same person that you were four years ago, but you sure as hell aren't the same as the girl I knew five years ago." I should have left then before either of us could say or do anything more while we were both hurting. It would have made things easier in the long run, only I didn't leave then. I stuck around to hear what she had to say, hoping that maybe there would be an apology slipped in.

Her eyes rolled slightly while she shook her head, "You're being ridiculous, Percy."

Only I wasn't. I was being serious and honest. I knew what I was getting at, but it didn't seem like she did and maybe never would, "No, I think that's you." I felt the cold door knob pressing into my palm as I realized the strong grip I had on it. I needed to go. I needed to leave her room, her house; I needed to get away from her altogether. "And until you realize that, then there's no point in doing this." Without thinking, I reached into my pocket, pulling out the smooth velvet box that seemed to comprise all that my friendship with Annabeth was built on. Tossing it at her feet, I swung the door closed after me, enjoying the stomping sounds that my feet made against the stairs.

I felt empty, drained, as if everything that I had ever been holding in had poured out in that very instance. But as I tumbled down the last stairs, I felt lighter than I had in the past years as if dropping that box in Annabeth's room had meant all the difference to me, throwing the friendship right in front of her face: showing her that I was the same person I had always been. It left the ball in her court to prove to me that she was the same.

"How'd it go?" I halted at the voice that I had once despised, turning to see Luke at the door carrying a trash bag. Tiredness was spread across his face as he leaned against the doorframe with only a glass door keeping the cool air out.

I shrugged, "I don't think it could have gone well in any circumstance." While Luke thought I meant consoling Annabeth after what happened with her father, I knew that I truly meant what had occurred between Annabeth and me in that room. However, that was only for us to know, not Luke or anyone else.

He nodded, "She's going to need us now, more than ever." His blue eyes hinted at understanding in addition to the notes of exhaustion. It would be a problem now for me to be there for Annabeth when I desperately wanted to just get as far away this very second. It would mean deciding to put her first when she never did that for me or doing just what she did and putting myself first before her.

"Why do you say that?" It wasn't that I doubted him, but I didn't like the feeling of him seeming to know more about the situation Annabeth was in over me. Whilst we now seemed to be on a good basis, it didn't mean my normal suspicions of Luke were gone.

He paused, watching me for a few seconds with a questioning look, "It's a long story. Do you need a ride back?" His head cocked towards outside, and I knew he was referring to me getting back home. I supposed that walking to the Chase's house was not the best idea that I ever had, especially considering the time that I would be leaving.

Knowing that I didn't plan to walk back home nor stay in Annabeth's house for the night, I shrugged, "Since you're offering, sure." I figured it couldn't hurt getting a warm ride home instead of walking the streets at night filled with more drunks than usual; it was New Year's Day after all.

Luke nodded; his lips pursed together as I grabbed my hoodie and followed him outside. The instant the frigid air hit me I realized how exposed that "conversation" with Annabeth had left me overall. I couldn't remember a time where I wasn't certain that Annabeth would be there if I needed her or she needed me. It seemed like the natural thing to do only the distance between us seemed to have been ever growing since the beginning of high school. I'd like to think that maybe it was only she who changed however maybe she was right. Maybe I had too.

Sliding into Luke's car, I rubbed my hands together in an attempt to bring blood flowing through them once again. I no longer wanted to think of Annabeth and the argument, but that's all that seemed to be flooding my thoughts. It was a surprise to me that the thoughts didn't burst through my mouth with the added pressure, yet I was thankful that it did not occur.

"Alright," Luke stated, after we had been on the road for a few good minutes, "how much do you know about my mom and dad?" His blue eyes pierced mine through the rearview mirror as he switched between watching the road and glancing at me.

I shrugged, "What makes you think I know anything?" I didn't mean to be on the defense, but I was still coming off of the argument that I had with Annabeth. Still, I gave him a pointed look as if not to ask about my response hoping that he would understand I wasn't in the mood.

His eyebrows rose slightly, "I wasn't sure what you had heard." I racked my brain, trying to think if I had ever heard anything about Luke's family circumstance. If I had, it had never stuck with me. Shortly, silence filled the car for several seconds as the hissing of the heater seemed to be amplified all the more. It was broken by his sigh, "My mom and dad never got married. They were together for a short period… then I was born. It all went downhill from there. Alright, it doesn't matter how it happened or got there, but my mom became a drunk after some things my dad did... It involved my half-brothers, the Stolls. Look, I had to go through all the shit of having a parent with an alcohol problem alone, okay? It'll be twenty times worse for Annabeth since I know she's going to be trying to take care of her brothers and shield them from it."

"At least someone knows her," I muttered bitterly under my breath, thinking that Luke didn't hear as he made no remark. Still, I wasn't certain if he truly hadn't heard as his icy blue eyes met mine with suspicion. I broke my gaze from him to the road, "What are we supposed to do?"

"Just be there for her and take her mind off of things," Luke shrugged, stopping the car at a red light as the snow swirled down in front of us. The windshield wipers shrieked as they pushed away a small bit of snow off the window. "I don't know what the hell happened between you and Annabeth when you went upstairs," Luke turned to face me, his jaw set with anger, "but it doesn't matter. You have to put it aside and be there for her, got it? Because she's not going to get through this without you there, Percy, no matter how much I hate that she depends on you so much. She needs you and me this time around. So, you're going to have put away whatever the hell happened when you went upstairs, and do what's best for Annabeth, understood?" Even if he didn't know it, that would be asking for a lot from both Annabeth and me, and maybe it was just too much for us to do.

The light struck green and with a honk from the car behind us, Luke directed his attention back to the road and driving. Still, I nodded, knowing his eyes caught me doing so in the rearview mirror. And in that moment, I realized that Annabeth would be the one person who would unite both Luke and me and possibly tear us apart. She was also the one person that I desperately wanted to avoid.

**…**

"Now remind me… Why, exactly, are you in my house?" Nico eyed me wearily, dumping a spoon of Lucky Charms into his mouth. As much as it surprised me, it was always his favorite cereal since before I could remember. To say the least, there were a lot of times where we sat at a kitchen table downing cereal – him Lucky Charms, me Honey Nut Cheerios. Some things never seemed to change, and that was just how I liked it.

I shrugged, letting the cool milk glide down my throat, "Can't visit my cousin without a lot of questions?" This was what some called: avoidance. It was a pretty useful topic except for when you fall into a normal routine that has been going on for years between you and your cousin. Only a problem could bring us both to a kitchen table at random times during the day or night eating a couple bowls of cereal.

He clanked his spoon into the bowl, "You don't show up in the middle of the night at my house for no reason." His bloodshot, dark eyes had bags under them, signaling that he'd prefer to be asleep than be talking to me right now. I couldn't blame him; sleep was something that I desperately needed this very second only my mind wouldn't let me get it. Still we both knew, the two of us would be sitting at the table any and every day if one of us needed it. But, it didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

"It's the morning, Nico," I said, stuffing another spoonful of cereal into my mouth. It was a nice way to drown out your sorrows without getting drunk or something along those lines. Yeah, I guess you could say it had finally hit me hard pretty early in the morning, or late at night, what had happened between Annabeth and me. I guess you could also say I felt like a jerk for doing it after she found out her dad was a drunk.

He grabbed the box of Lucky Charms, pouring it into the bowl, "Four in the _morning_. It's still _dark_ out. I should be asleep right now. You always go to your cousins' houses at four in the morning?" Nico grumbled, pouring in the milk until the cereal was close to overflowing. He did nothing to pretend that he enjoyed being woken up this early.

I let the spoon swirl in the Cheerio mix, "No, just yours." Raising my eyebrows slightly, I spooned another bunch of Cheerios wishing that they weren't soggy. The second they hit my mouth, I forced the milk-logged Cheerios down my throat. "It's Annabeth," I muttered as I downed the Cheerios and milk.

His eyes squinted towards me, "Some things never change."

"What do you mean?" I questioned, certain that the last time we talked things over with early morning cereal had nothing to with Annabeth. I was pretty certainty it had to do with Bianca, and before that, it also had nothing to do with Annabeth.

He shook his head, "What's wrong this time?" It figured that he would ignore my question altogether. He generally ignored a lot of things when it came to Annabeth and me. I still wasn't entirely sure why that was.

"Look, she and I are kind of in a bad place, but she needs my help…" I trailed off, not wanting to spread the news about Annabeth's father without her permission no matter what place we were in. It wasn't that I didn't trust Nico however I knew that if it were me, I wouldn't want people going around saying how my dad was a drunk.

Nico raised his eyebrows, eating a couple spoonfuls of cereal before deciding to talk, "So you want to know if you should help her or keep avoiding her, right?" I nodded, pouring in another blow of Cheerios to give me something to do, "Well, this is stupid, Percy. You're going to do it either way, and I could be sleeping right now." He pushed his stool back, crossing his arms over his chest. I guess it should be mentioned that Nico doesn't enjoy being woken up early in the morning, especially not when it's still dark out.

"What are you talking about?" I met his pointed gaze, starting to wonder if coming to Nico was a mistake this time.

He shrugged, "Look, you and Annabeth always have some sort of drama. Then, you guys get over it. Then there's some sort of drama again. I honestly could care less about what starts it because from what I know so far, the drama is always really stupid." I raised my eyebrows, wondering what exactly Nico was getting at and if he would ever get there, "You know I care about both of you, but this is really getting ridiculous. You'll regret it if you don't help her, Percy. It's the same old thing with the drama blowing over in a couple of days, but you'll never forgive yourself if you're not there for her when she needs you. The same can be said for Annabeth." He stood up, grabbing the bowl of cereal with him, "Next time the problem is this, at least wait until I wake up to talk to me about it." His footsteps resounded up the stairs, leaving me in his dimly lit kitchen. I really would have liked to believe Nico this go around, yet I couldn't help but think this time things were different.

And boy was I right.

**…**

**January 1 ~ Day 9**

**…**

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><p><strong>AN: Want some fluff? Yeah, I basically had some writer's block so I wrote out another story <strong>**Cupid's Amore: For the Love or Money.**** It's Percabeth, and I'd love for you guys to check it out. I call it my writer's block story since it's a short story that I wrote out in two days.**

**That's better than a cliffhanger, eh? Anyways, I guess you guys really aren't used to my angst. I mean, how could you be? It really hasn't played out in any of my stories yet. SO, this is the first one! Hah, just remember what Nico and Luke said: Annabeth needs Percy, and Percy would regret not being there for her. Still, I can assure you that my angst has just started.**

**Well, what'd you guys think? Good, bad, ugly? Again, I really don't have much to say about this chapter.**

**Also, feel free to ask me any questions and give suggestions if you would like,**

**~ Jam.**

**P.S. Do you guys like the new cover?**

**xx**

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><p><strong>Replies to anonymous reviews<strong>

_Envelope123 – Ah, I see what you mean now. Hm, they do need to have _the talk_ then. Also, thank you for taking the time to read and review._

_Like it – Thank you and thank you for taking the time to read and review. I hope you liked this chapter._

_B – Hello B! Aw, thank you so much and thank you again for taking the time to read and review. Aha, I hope the wait wasn't too long then. Hm, I guess that depends on your definition of "okay" then, eh? Ahahah, I thought it was necessary this go around._

_Guest (Licking Lips) – You know, I never noticed that. I think it's because I naturally lick my lips a lot. Anywho, I'll have to stop giving it away like that ;) Also, thank you for taking the time to read and review._

_Guest (Great story keep it up) – Aw thanks, I hope I can. And thank you once again for taking the time to read and review._

_Guest (Super Awesome) – Aw, thank you. Aha, I really should be updating my other story first ;p Anywho, thanks for taking the time to read and review._


	10. Day 10

**Only Thirty Days****  
>Summary: <strong>Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: **_Tajee165, XOsweetPURPLEcandyOX, nerdygansta, FireAngel7, Mookeypoop, WisdomGoddessAthenae, imbetterthanyou238, ButterflyFlyToMe, Guest, XxPerliaxFabinaxX, cantwaittillfall, CimFan, I am Persues Son of Zeus, sean, Guest, ZoeRose24, AAZ (ew, it's you the writer of Jackson's Chase. I kid, my friend ;p), m, yanksrock615, Troober, B, LoveNeverFails24, seaweedbrainwisegirl717, Randy, NerdBird8.  
><em>**Disclaimer: **I don't own PJO…

**A/N: **Well, I've been dying to update this, but I forced myself to finish some other things before I did so. So, here I am.

**Hope you guys enjoy.**

**xx**

_**(Flashbacks Are From Chapter 3)**_

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 10<span>**

**Day 10.**

Small drops of water still found their way off my hair onto my back. The trickling, cold water seemed to be slowly bringing me back to a reality that I all but wanted to escape. To be honest, it was rather annoying even though I seemed to dry off pretty quickly from the small amounts of water. Pulling the towel from under my bag, I was in no rush to get dried off or dressed besides the fact that I was tired of dripping water. Other than that, I had no reason to hurry because I was the last person left in the locker room after deciding to swim some extra laps after practice. Again, it was a way to get my mind off of my normal life I was desperately trying to avoid. In fact, everything seemed to be giving me a hard time as I continued to pull at the thick towel that was stuck under my bag.

Giving it a hard yank, the towel came free but also sent my bag toppling onto the slick floor. Along with the thud of the bag went the familiar _clank_ of other contents spreading across the floor. This was exactly what I needed: another mess. Muttering more than a few choice words under my breath, I halfheartedly rolled the towel over my head before letting it lay on my shoulders. _Well, there's no reason to pick that stuff up now_ was the only thought that crossed my head as I dried myself before getting dressed. I was just avoiding cleaning up the mess until later. It seemed like avoidance was all I had been doing lately. I was avoiding thinking of Annabeth by swimming extra laps, and I had been avoiding telling Annabeth about my feelings for her over the past—no, not ten—1461 days or in other words, four years. Apparently, I was a master at the art of avoidance.

Realizing that there was nothing left for me to do in an act of avoidance, I kneeled down to the mess of my bag's contents, chucking in some deodorant, a couple of batteries, a pair of goggles, and some piece of paper that had been water-logged to the point of incoherence months before. The point of tossing that paper back in there—for it to fall out again when my towel didn't budge. Absentmindedly reaching for the last thing, my hands grasped a cool, thin _something_ that didn't register as any normal object in my swim bag. My first thoughts when I saw it were something close to _really? Whoever's up there couldn't just let me avoid her?_ Shaking my head, I stopped before I could toss it along into the bag with the meaningless piece of paper. Because no matter how often I attempted to avoid her, there was no question that she was _not_ meaningless. _This_ was not meaningless.

Not certain as to what I should do with _it_, I slumped the swim bag over my shoulder to make my way out of the locker room. I might as well multitask: think it over and walk at the same time. To make it simple, this _thing_ was another token of my friendship with Annabeth, another reminder of what I was losing through avoidance. Glancing down at the gleaming chain and uneven shark tooth, it brought back nothing except the happy, painful memories of Annabeth and me. _Our first kiss. Her teasing me. Her helping me with homework. Scaring her on Halloween with a spider. Her laugh. Her eyes. Our friendship. Her giving me the inscribed shark tooth of Christmas. _There wasn't supposed to be a dagger slowly running through every vital organ I had when I thought of Annabeth, when I thought of us. It was never supposed to reach to that point.

I should make it clear right now. Things never go as planned.

"Hey?" Luke walked up to me, his eyes lingering on the chain and shark tooth in my hand.

"Uh, hi Luke?" Now, why exactly he was there in the first place was a good question. Granted he showed up last time, Annabeth didn't show up this time at my swim practice. Sure, his half-brothers were on the team however why would he stay all that extra time?

Luke shrugged, still looking towards the shark tooth, "What? Can't stay after to talk to a," he paused, "friend?"

"You can do whatever you want," I stated, realizing afterwards how cold it sounded. It was pretty simple; I just didn't care to talk at that moment.

"Cool," Luke nodded, training his eyes on the shark tooth pressing against my palm, "what is that?"

_Her hair wasn't as straight as it had been yesterday so a few curls tucked out from under the hat, reflecting off the red, green, blue, as well as purple from the Christmas tree. She looked, quite simply, beautiful. Breaking my gaze from her face, I saw a small box in her hand as the other was gesturing me to come near. It was probably my Christmas present. The wrestling between Bobby and Mathew had stopped while Mr. and Mrs. Chase just grinned at the exchange between the two of us; I have a feeling they knew what was in that box._

_Awkwardly, I walked over, taking the present from Annabeth's hand. Sure, I had gotten her a present, but I wasn't expecting anything from her. Not caring to be careful, I ripped the green wrapping paper from the box, pulling off the top to see a shark's tooth. It was on a silver chain that reminded me of the color of Annabeth's eyes. On closer inspection, I saw that the tooth actually had writing inscribed in it:_

'_Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl._

_Jackson and Chase._

_xx.'_

_Smirking, I pulled Annabeth into a half hug, while she laughed into my neck, "You look like you've just been brought to the beach for the first time. I don't think I'll ever forget that look."_

"_Yeah," I grinned but pulled away from Annabeth quickly, remembering that her parents were still in the room, "thanks."_

"Nothing," I muttered, slipping the chain around my neck as the tooth felt across my chest near my heart. It only brought more awareness to the fact that my friendship with Annabeth had meant more to me than the world at times – as corny as that sounds.

Luke nodded, looking away from the shark tooth back to me, "Are you busy for the rest of the day?" He crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for me to answer him.

I realized that Luke was making an effort to get us on good standing however it didn't mean he had to overdo it with the attempting to do stuff together. Still with me avoiding Annabeth, that did leave me more time than normal to do stuff with other people, "I guess not." Shrugging, I figured that hanging out with Luke would only help me with my mission to avoid Annabeth.

"Good," Luke stated, regarding me with the utmost suspicion. I had a feeling there was more to this than just hanging out or anything like that. "Did you drive here?"

"Yeah," I said, running a hand through my, still damp, hair absentmindedly, "do you need a lift or something?" That would explain why he had waited for however long I stayed after doing extra laps. It'd definitely make more sense than him just wanting to hang out with me or something like that. Still, I don't get why people just assume I'll give them rides.

He shook his head, "No, I'm good. Just follow me to where we're going." Luke turned on his heel to walk towards the exit of the almost empty pool. _Follow him?_ Why couldn't he _tell_ me where we were going, exactly? To say the least, I had a good feeling about my first thought that this was more than just a normal hanging out at a basketball game or something.

"Where are we going?" I wondered aloud, finally starting to walk after Luke who was a good several feet ahead of me. We weren't riding in the same car, so I had no reason to rush anyways.

Luke paused, stopping a step before continuing to walk out the exit. Instead of looking at me, he kept his head forward as he muttered, "Brooklyn."

**…**

Now if you asked me, Brooklyn, New York didn't add anything extra to some sort of hangout. Plus, the amount of gas that I just spent getting myself there was probably not going to be worth anything that Luke and I were doing. Yeah, I should also mention that I still had no idea what we were doing in Brooklyn on a Monday during Winter Break. Plus, it was the day after New Year's, and I figured there would still be people walking along the street nursing a hangover. So, doing almost anything else, even not avoiding Annabeth, sounded a lot better than whatever Luke had planned for us in Brooklyn.

After almost losing him multiple times and wishing that I at least _knew_ where we were going, we parked along the street where slush still scattered the sidewalks. Standing in front of the parking meter, I hoped we wouldn't be staying long as I only had enough to feed it for two hours at the most. And if we were staying for more than two hours, well either Luke was going to feed my meter, or he was going to pay for my fine that I would get if I got caught with an unfed meter. To keep his wallet full, he had better have some extra change to feed my meter, or we better not stay too long.

"You didn't get lost," Luke smirked, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he walked over towards me. Luckily, there were two spots on the same block, so we weren't parked that far apart. Otherwise, I probably would have lost track of where he parked and where the hell I was supposed to go (which I still didn't know).

"Yeah…" I muttered, glancing towards the meter to see how much time I had left; I had already lost three minutes, "Hey, if we're staying here for over two hours then you're paying my meter or you're paying my ticket." I threw in a smirk at the end to lighten up what I said, but I was serious about him paying if we stayed longer than two hours. It was never my plan to come all the way down here anyways.

He shrugged, looking up and down the block, "Yeah, sure, I guess I can do that." His eyes still lingered on every single person that passed, making me wonder if we were supposed to meet someone here, "Plus, they're really not too crazy about checking the meter all the time. As long as we're lucky, they already checked for a while. People let the meter run empty all the time." Luke walked a bit up the sidewalk before coming back towards where I was standing watching.

"Looking for someone?" I asked, starting to glance at the passer-by who I was pretty certain I had never seen before in my life. New York was pretty big, and I didn't frequent Brooklyn too often at all.

His eyebrows rose, "What makes you think that?" For the first time in a while, his eyes stopped searching the sidewalk and street, coming to lie upon me. They were challenging me to attempt to argue further, but I could also catch the part that said not to ask.

Deciding to play it off, I glanced away towards the meter again, "No reason. It just seemed like you were looking for someone. That's all." I don't know what it was, but it always seemed like one of us was on the defense at all times. Maybe it was just natural. After all, we had held some sort of dislike towards each other for the longest time.

"Yeah…" Luke trailed off, pulling his phone from his pocket to check it. His face showed disappointment before he pocketed it a few seconds later, "Come on, let's go. It's cold." He glanced once more around the block and started walking again.

I followed, staying back a step or two, still not sure where we were going and why we were here. If it were to freeze my butt off in the cold, I think I could do that right back outside of the school, "You still haven't told me what we're doing here." I blew out a breath, watching the white air mingle with the clearness around it.

"I know. You keep telling me," Luke deflected, shaking his head slightly as he continued to glance around at the people who were passing us. I was fairly certain that he was looking for someone no matter what he said. In fact, the longer he went without telling me, the sketchier this seemed.

I ran my hand along my neck, "Because you still haven't told me, and now we're freezing our butts off for no apparent reason." Dodging around a person walking the other way, I quickened my steps to keep up with Luke. It wasn't too hard since he didn't seem to be in a rush at all.

He shrugged, glancing towards each building that we passed, "Did you ever think I don't exactly know what we're here for?"

"So… You're telling me that we're here in Brooklyn… becoming human popsicles… because you have no idea what we're here for?" I tried not to sound annoyed and frustrated, but I don't think I did a very good job of covering it. Really, who would be able to hide it when their fingers were freezing off?

Luke chuckled, continuing to glance towards the buildings that we passed, "No, I'm pretty sure I know why we're here. Look, Percy, do you have to know everything we're going to do? You're just like Annabeth." I stopped, causing the person behind me to run into the back of me and mutter a few curses that weren't even worth repeating. Picking up pace again, I stayed a couple of steps behind Luke. "Are you guys okay?"

"What?" I questioned, paying attention to everything but Luke as we passed more buildings, some of brick others of who knows what. Maybe cement? I really never knew much about what was used to build buildings, but I was certain Annabeth would have known. There it is again or maybe I should say there _she_ was again.

He glanced towards me with narrowed eyes, "You and Annabeth. Both of you guys have been acting weird about each other for a couple of days." Breaking his gaze away from me, it went directly back to the buildings that we were passing as we neared a crosswalk and another block.

Stopping at the crosswalk (we didn't have the go-ahead), Luke turned towards me, not even attempting to hide the suspicion that was covering his expression. I was pretty sure if one of us should have been suspicious it should have been me. "What do you mean?" I feigned innocent, knowing full-well exactly what Luke was talking about. You have to remember, I was still trying to avoid that stuff between Annabeth and me.

An eyebrow rose, "Both of you have been avoiding anything and everything that has to do with each other., and it's like you guys aren't even friends anymore."

"Wouldn't you like that," I muttered, knowing full-well that everything that Luke said was right. Well, besides the not being friends part. I was exactly sure _where_ Annabeth and I stood when it came to our friendship.

His other eyebrow rose, "Percy, what good does it do for me if Annabeth is miserable all the time because you guys are fighting or something? And on top of that, she has the problem with her family falling apart."

I shrugged, shaking my head to try to rid myself of frustration, "You could just be there for her because she's down and date her again." Look, just because I said that didn't mean I actually believed it. Sure, I knew well enough that Luke still liked Annabeth – he told me that – but it didn't make things easier for me at all with my days winding down. I was a third of the way through with the thirty days and ten steps back from where I was at day zero.

As the hand lit white to signal that it was safe to cross, I started to go only for Luke to stick his arm out and stop me, "You need to get over that." His blue eyes shone serious, all flecks of joking gone, "I don't know what you have against me besides that I dated Annabeth, but right now, I'm just being there for her, all things aside. I'm not doing this just to date her again. It's because I care about her, and I know how much it sucks to go through this type of stuff. So, maybe you should get over yourself and be there for her. Because no matter how much I used to hate it, you're her best friend, and you come before everyone and everything else for her. So, maybe you should start doing the same." He dropped his arm, not even waiting for my reply or even for me to catch up.

Shaking my head, I stayed a couple steps behind Luke as we plowed through the slush covered streets of Brooklyn. Oh yeah, did I mention I still have no idea what Luke's talking about? _You're her best friend, and you come before everyone and everything else for her._ Last I checked I was the one being ditched for Annabeth's boyfriends, not the other way around. "You've got it wrong," I stepped up to stand only a step behind Luke as he did nothing to slow down.

"What do you mean?" He asked, probably not certain about what I meant since I asked a couple minutes after he mentioned the Annabeth thing.

"Annabeth put you first," I muttered, not exactly wanting to get into a conversation about Annabeth at the moment. I definitely didn't want to talk about my _feelings_ when it came to Annabeth and her boyfriends. I especially didn't want to discuss it with Luke, her most recent ex who still liked her.

"Not exactly," Luke shrugged, glancing over his shoulder for a second as we turned down the block. Sighing, he continued, "Percy, Annabeth would always save a seat next to her at the table for you to sit at, she would go the long way in the halls to walk with you, and she would put off agreeing to hang out with me till the last second in case you wanted to do something with her. She made the effort Percy. You just didn't do your end."

"I never noticed…" I trailed off, realizing now just often I had seen Annabeth in the halls, but how would I know she was doing those things for me? How was I supposed to figure that out? How would I know that empty seat next to her was meant for me when I was across the cafeteria at another table? "She never told me," and it was then that I felt the shark tooth press against my skin, the weight seeming to have increased.

He chuckled, "Yeah, apparently not. It got pretty annoying after a while." But before I could ask what he meant, Luke turned and walked up the front steps of a building, "We're here."

"Where's here?" I asked, following him up the concrete stairs into what looked a lot like a set of apartment buildings. No, not the ones that stacked each family one on top of the other, but the apartment building that seemed to go on forever with white paint that looked like it was done yesterday.

"Apartment building," Luke stated, holding the door open for me as our sneakers sounded against the polished floor. Passing the doorman who sent us suspicious looks, we moved towards the elevators, coming to a stop after he pushed the up button. Glancing around, I saw a few benches open, but only one person sitting there against it. Since the person's back was turned to me, I guessed that it was girl because of the hair length, but I couldn't be sure.

Turning over my shoulder, I still saw the doorman watching us warily as we waited for the elevator to open. I guess he wasn't used to seeing teenagers in a "ritzy" hotel room that weren't dressed in school uniforms. Waving at the disgruntled doorman, I turned towards Luke, "Are you moving or something?"

Pulling out his phone, Luke didn't glance up, "No, not exactly."

"So, why are we here?" I questioned, as a ding sounded the arrival of the elevator, and we made our way into the doors. After Luke pressed the button for the seventeenth floor, classical music filled the small room as we slowly lurched upwards. Once we made it to the fourth floor and Luke still hadn't answered, I asked again, "What are we doing here?"

"You ask a lot of questions," Luke mumbled, watching the number change from four to five. Shaking his head, he answered, "You'll see soon enough."

"I'm not just going to come to Brooklyn for no apparent reason and not ask questions," I muttered sourly, glancing at the lit up button 17.

Watching the floor numbers get closer and closer to seventeen, I wondered why exactly Luke would want me to come to an apartment building. Sure, I still had the suspicion that something sketchy was about to go down, however I liked to think that Annabeth wouldn't have dated someone who was into those sorts of _things._ Nevertheless, I was definitely happier when I could finally set my foot onto the seventeenth floor and got out of the elevator. Whenever I was in elevators, I always had some small inkling that it was going to either go plummeting into the Earth or continue up past all floors of the building and into the sky. Maybe that part came from watching _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory _so often when I was little.

"Here we are," Luke said under his breath, knocking on apartment number 327A. After a few seconds, Luke pulled out a piece of paper with the number 327A on it and knocked again.

"Coming," I heard a muffled, familiar voice that I just couldn't place before the door swung open to Mr. Chase. Wait, _Mr._ _Chase_? "Oh, hey Luke. I didn't know Percy was coming." He leaned back against the wall to allow us to come into the apartment.

Walking in, I glanced around the surprisingly furnished apartment that was actually pretty spacious for what it was worth. Coming into the living room, there were the normal things: a couch, TV, coffee table, but nothing that made it seem _homey._ I guess Luke was thinking the same thing, "You own this place?" We both glanced up towards Mr. Chase who was leaning against the wall appearing exhausted.

"No," he shook his head, pulling off his glasses to wipe them on his shirt, "a friend actually does. It was his first apartment, but he lives in a house now. He said I could stay here for as long as I wanted or even buy the place from him."

"Buy it?" I asked, walking over towards the fish tank that was devoid of all life and fish. It was pretty large, stretching the length of the wall and completely in line with it. Once I was in front of it, I saw that is was actually a _part_ of the wall.

"Pretty cool, right?" I glanced up towards Mr. Chase who was watching me examine the fish tank. I nodded, waiting for him to answer my question, "Yeah, I guess the place isn't too bad. My friend said I could get the place and everything that was in it for less than what he paid for it. He wants it to at least stay with someone he knows since he wants to sell it. It holds a lot of memories and whatnot."

I turned away from the fish tank, watching Mr. Chase, "Are you getting it for Annabeth?" I wondered aloud, uncertain as to why Mr. Chase was thinking of buying this apartment. Luke, on the other hand, exchanged knowing glances with Mr. Chase. Then it dawned on me, "Man he works fast." I muttered under my breath before saying loud enough for everyone to hear, "You're moving out?" He cleared his throat, looking towards the floor and shifting uneasily. "What about Mathew, Bobby, and Annabeth?" I asked, annoyed that it seemed like Mr. Chase was just giving up on his family when times got tough.

"This is why I only wanted Luke here," he muttered, before addressing me. "They can stay here if they want and visit whenever they want." His answer was nonchalant as if he didn't understand the essence of the matter. I glanced towards Luke, and he too appeared to not understand the significance that Mr. Chase moving to this apartment would have.

I quickly shook my head, "What are Mathew and Bobby going to do? Ride the train or subway to get here? They can't walk."

Mr. Chase scratched his, "I never really thought of that, but I'm sure A—"

"Annabeth isn't going to bring them," I said coolly, interrupting Mr. Chase before he could even suggest that. It was pretty obvious to me exactly where he was going.

He seemed surprised, running a hand through his greying hair, "I think she would."

"You don't even know your own daughter," I muttered, shaking my head as Mr. Chase looked towards Luke for help. The help he was looking for? Yeah, I don't know what he wanted.

"Percy," he said in an even voice that I had often heard him use when correcting people, "I know my own daughter…" However, he shifted his position, never staying still the entire time. His eyes looked everywhere but at me, and he busied his hands with cleaning his glasses once again. I was pretty sure they were clean after the last time.

"Her favorite color," I demanded, stepping closer towards Mr. Chase.

"What?" He looked up at me while squinting his eyes since his glasses still lay in his hands. More than likely, he probably couldn't see me clearly.

I shook my head, annoyed, "What is it?"

"Oh," he mumbled, sliding his glasses back on his face and leaving his hands at his sides, "red?"

"It's grey," I stated matter-of-factually, not believing that he didn't even know Annabeth's favorite color: _his own daughter's_. For as long as I had known her, it had never changed, and I was pretty sure Mr. Chase had known Annabeth longer; I wasn't the one that was there when she was born.

Still, I gave him another chance, "Favorite animal?"

"A dog?" _Wrong again._

"Owl. Her dream job?" _This one's easy._

"Doctor?" He questioned.

I shook my head, "Architect. What she wants to build?"

"A building?"

"Wrong," I shouted, not believing that he didn't even know what Annabeth wanted to not only build but _achieve_ in life. "She wants to build something permanent. Do you even know why?" He shook his head, his face seeming to have sunken and fallen more heavily, "Because of reasons like this. Because her family doesn't even know her, and she feels like everyone she cares about," I paused, before saying the last two words more quietly with realization, "leaves her," and maybe I was doing the same thing. Right now, this very second, Annabeth needed me more than ever, and I was letting her go through this on her own. I was just proving exactly what I had been trying to change her mind about for so long, that I would be there for her permanently: that I could be a foundation for something permanent. I glanced towards Luke, no longer wanting to talk to Mr. Chase about him leaving Annabeth when I was doing just the same.

Luke nodded, "Mr. Chase, I think what Percy's saying is that Annabeth isn't going to like you moving out." His voice sounded aged as if he had been through this time and time again. And for some reason, I had a feeling that Luke wasn't talking about Annabeth but himself, about his own experiences with his father.

"She'll understand," Mr. Chase said sadly, wiping the back of his hand under his nose.

I shook my head, "She'll think you're abandoning her just like her mom did. Only, this time it will be worse because she'll also blame you for abandoning Bobby and Mathew." If there was one thing I was certain of when it came to Annabeth, I knew exactly how she felt about people leaving her. Sure, I may have never considered it with myself, but I knew just how it worked with her mom.

Luke agreed, "I know what it's like, and she'll hate you for it." I looked towards him, noticing his stone-faced expression, "She'll never forgive you for moving away and not seeing her and her brothers." He probably never forgave his father.

"I would still see them," Mr. Chase attempted to assure us, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm not actually abandoning them like how Athena just left us."

"How do you know she'll feel that way?" Luke questioned, asking the same thing that I was thinking. "I've been there before, and I know exactly what it's like. You may not think she'll hate you, but it doesn't mean she won't hold it against you for the rest of her life."

"I know my," Mr. Chase began but stopped once I shot him a look. "I can't do anything else about it. You don't understand what's happening." His voice began to tremble as his chest started to heave.

I shrugged. It seemed fairly simple to me, "You could tell us."

"No," he shook his head, as he breathed deeper to keep his voice under control, "I just can't."

"You need help," Luke took steps forward, putting his arm on Mr. Chase's shoulder. "I've seen what happens when someone doesn't get help. It hurts not only them but their family too. You don't want to do that to Annabeth and especially not Bobby and Mathew."

His head shook vigorously, "I don't need any help. I'm fine, okay." Mr. Chase walked around us, going into the open walled kitchen towards the fridge. We watched him go, pulling out a brown tinted bottle and throwing off the cap. Titling his head back, he guzzled a third of the beer bottle before clanking it against the table. "I only asked _Luke_," he shot me an angered glance, "here to see what he thought of the apartment. That was it. My problem right now is that I can't stay at home. Nothing else."

"Mr. Chase," Luke began, glancing towards me for help. I shook my head, walking towards the door. I couldn't do this anymore. I wasn't going to watch another relationship that Annabeth had go down the drain.

"Percy," Mr. Chase called after me as I neared the door, stopping to take another swig of his beer, "it didn't seem to matter to Annabeth that I didn't know random details about her when she saw the place today." He lips peeled back into a grin before they surrounded the top of his beer bottle once again. Luke looked disgusted and mortified as we watched on at Mr. Chase's drinking.

"How long ago?" I asked, setting my hand on the door knob. Considering that Mr. Chase could have been drunk all along, I knew Annabeth definitely wasn't fine with it. Maybe she could have fooled Mr. Chase, but I know exactly how this would have affected her.

He shrugged, tapping the long neck of the drip-away-from-empty bottle. His words began to slur as a he spoke, "A co_ffle_ minutes before you guys came. She le_ff_ in a rush." The last drip then traveled down his throat before he turned back to open the fridge once again. I left before I could see him grab his next bottle. There was no doubt in my mind that was what he was reaching for anyways.

The trip into the elevator and into the main lobby became a blur for me. I no longer noticed the shining titles but hated just how clean a place Mr. Chase was staying in; at that second, I felt a soggy cardboard box would have suited him perfectly. My trance was only broken when I neared the front desk for the doorman had muttered, "Stupid teenagers ruining the place."

I stopped short, glancing towards the man with light stubble covering his frowning face, "What do you mean," his name tag read Albert, "Albert?" I don't know why exactly I had decided to engage in conversation with the doorman: maybe because I was annoyed with people acting entitled after Mr. Chase.

His eyes lit up with surprise before they dulled again as they glanced towards the door, "Another teenager, eh?"

"What I ever do to you?" I asked curtly. Sure, I walked into the place, not wearing a private school uniform, but what difference did it make? I wasn't messing up the whole _look_ of the place or anything. I didn't even stay in the lobby for five minutes.

Opening his mouth, he stopped, his features softening, "I'm sorry, kid. There have just been a lot of delinquents messing around with the place. I just figured you were one of them."

I shrugged it off, signaling that it was no big deal to me, "Did they just show up or something, Albert?" Watching Albert, I noticed his eyes glance towards the front door before focusing on me.

I was about to turn around and look myself when he continued, "You can call me Al, and no, not exactly. There has just been a girl sitting out there for a few minutes since you arrived. I had to ask her to leave because she was sitting on one of the benches doing nothing. I was worried that she was just up to no good, but I'm not too sure anymore. She's been sitting on the steps for a while now. Really starting to worry me," his eyes softened with worry as he looked, I assumed, at the girl sitting on the steps.

Turning away from Al, I opened my mouth to talk, pausing when my eyes registered the blonde hair on the body of the girl who was sitting out there. _She was the person I saw on the bench earlier._ "Hey, Al. I'm gonna go talk to her," I walked off from Al, nearing the door.

Al called after me, "It was nice talking to you, kid. You seem like a good one." If only I had felt like one of the good ones because in that minute, I felt like the worse friend there ever was.

Pushing the door open, I ignored the swift wind that whipped across my face. It didn't matter because in the second I set my eyes on the figure, the shark tooth against my naked skin seemed to feel warm. Maybe it was my imagination, but the weight on the silver chain felt lighter than before. I didn't need to see the face to know exactly who it was. I sat down next to the slim figure, imagining exactly what Al must have been muttering inside. He probably no longer thought I was one of the good ones, but it no longer mattered to me. The figure remained silent, not even acknowledging my presence. "You know, it's pretty cold out here," I said, after a couple of minutes of silence had engulfed the two of us.

"I didn't really notice," she mumbled, tapping her foot absentmindedly against the stone doorstep.

I forced myself to stop getting distracting by the beats her foot was creating, "Al thinks that you're a delinquent. Probably thinks the same of me my right now." I chuckled lightly watching the numerous people pass along the street without looking towards us. You could be invisible in New York. That was one of the best and worst things about it.

"What are you doing here, Percy?" her voice sounded exhausted as she turned her grey eyes onto me. The grey was mixed with water that was threatening to spill out any second. She quickly looked away, wiping the little amount of water pooled in her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Luke brought me," I stated, watching as she turned her face away from me completely.

She nodded, "I guess my dad wanted you guys to see the apartment." Her words got carried away in the wind, but I was still able to catch them.

I scratched the back of my head, "Yeah but apparently your dad only wanted Luke to come. It came out when I told him that he didn't know his own daughter." Her eyes quickly turned to me inquisitively, the only thing seeming to lighten up the grey, "I told him that you would feel like he was abandoning you." Dropping her eyes away from me, she ran her sneaker over the top of the other, rubbing them together.

"I don't really care," she attempted to make her voice even and devoid of feeling, but it cracked at the end, giving her away.

I shook my head, watching her blonde hair blow in the wind, "Everyone cares when everything around them seems to be falling apart." She turned herself back towards me, opening her mouth to speak but only a sob finally escaped.

Everyone can only be strong for so long.

Wrapping my hand around her waist, I pulled her into my side, resting my head against hers. Her body shook as her tears began to wet my shirt, yet she rested rigidly against me. I held her tighter until she relaxed against me letting her tears spill out. It hurt in the pit of my stomach, like someone had punched me and knocked the wind out of me except no one had. All it took was seeing Annabeth breaking down in front of me for that to happen. Putting a hand over her trembling one, I noticed the owl ring that sat, placed on her middle finger.

_I squint at the ring in the dim light. Just in case I got the size wrong, I got a blue chain that way she could wear it around her neck, if she even wanted to wear it. It's pretty simple. Just a silver, what do you call it, band? Then diamonds making the shape of an owl were sandwiched between a P and an A. Closing my eyes and blowing out a breath, I could see the words on the band written 'something permanent.'_

_After the divorce between her parents, Annabeth had strived to create something permanent. It took years, but I knew that I could be that something permanent…_

And noticing how the shark tooth now lay directly against my heart, next to her head, I couldn't help but let a small smile form. Maybe I was crazy, but I knew that somehow, things would turn out alright.

**…**

So right now, I'd love to tell you that the story continues on with everything fixed between Annabeth and me, and we live happily ever after. Tomorrow, I ask her out, and she says yes. Luke stops liking Annabeth, and he accepts that they can never be together again. Thalia stops hating me, and Nico no longer has to hear my problems about Annabeth. Her father's drinking problem is over, and he moves back into their house. Annabeth's mother comes back, and for once, everything just seems to be close to perfect. After ten days, everything goes back to being just how it's supposed to be, and we all get that little taste of perfection.

Only, it doesn't happen like that because this isn't your normal love story. Because this isn't your picture perfect, scripted life. Is this a love story? Yes, I can tell you that right off the back. But everything from this point onward, for the next twenty days:

Will be anything and _everything_ but perfect.

**…**

**January 2nd ~ Day 10**

**…**

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><p><strong>AN: AHHHHH, I updated… and it was long. And, you probably hate the ending right? Well, say hello to my angst then! :D Lololol. I know, this is no laughing matter, but hey, what's life without a little humor? Oh, you don't see any humor in this? … Well, this is awkward.<strong>

**Okay, well if you have any questions, suggestions, comments, or anything likewise, feel free to tell me… REMEMBER, violence gets you nowhere… I mean, if you get rid of me, how will the story get all the way to 30 days?**

**So, I'll just be dodging some very sharp pitchforks then in the meantime.**

**Until next time,**

**J *AHHHHH, a pitchfork* am.**

**xx**

**P.S. you can follow me on my blog/tumblr to pester me about updating and know what I'm up to story wise. (allstarry707. tumblr. com)**

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><p><strong>Anonymous Review Replies.<strong>

_**So that I don't sound like a broken record: thank you to each and every one of you for taking the time to read and review. It really means a lot to me.**_

_ButterflyFlyToMe – I'm glad you like him. Hah, I thought the Lucky Charms was a tad bit funny. Maybe that was just me…_

_Guest (Awesome and update) – Lol, thank you and lookey here._

_Sean – Sorry, I'm not really doing Annabeth's POV in this story. It's going to be strictly Percy. Plus, that would just give way too much away ;) Exactly why you want her POV, right?_

_Guest (yay you updated) – thinking the same thing right now? ;p_

_M – Lolol, thanks from constructive-ish criticism. What was boring? Otherwise, I can't exactly grow that from that…_

_B – Eyo, B. Ah, was this wait too long? Well, they at least need to become friends at some point, right? Or at least, that's what I think… You won't have to wait too long. Aw, thanks!_

_Randy – You have absolutely no idea how much that means to mean. It's probably because I absolutely love to write angst, so this is like one of the top compliments I could possibly get. This is also the first angst that has played out in a story versus a one shot. Don't worry, though. There's still more angst to come. :)_


	11. Day 11

**Only Thirty Days  
>Summary: <strong>Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: **_ZoeRose24, WisestOwl, sweetpurplecandy, Mitzipitzi, Tajee165, n99chang, FireAngel7, Mookeypoop, ChildOfWisdom, I am Perseus Son of Zeus, flyonfan14, CimFan, riku, NerdBird83, yanksrock615, Guest, Child of Athens, Pandastyle, AAZ _(I hope you guys aren't scarred by her writing), _XxPerliaFabinaxX, dollyluvsya101, B, UKnowIt, crazybooklover99, Bobz1212, annonomos, Arrow of Artemis, Awesomel, Bobz1212 (2), Namittheking, leprechaunlady, Awesomel (2),  
><em>**Disclaimer: **I don't own PJO…

**A/N: **Okay, I just finished a ridiculously long one shot, this chapter, and started the next chapter for this story… SO, I had originally just posted this chapter without replying to reviews and hadn't reread it. Gosh, I made so many mistakes when I was typing half asleep. Therefore, I took it down to reread, edit, reply to reviews (anonymous especially at the end of the chapter), do Thanks Yous, AND reformat it.

Anywho, I'm kind of in love with this story again. Honestly, it's a really nice feeling. Blargh, I'm also obsessed with writing which explains a 19000+ word one shot for percabeth about Christmas that I wrote. On the plus side though, I'm somewhat in love with that one shot, and I'm definitely in love with this story again. It's a nice feeling. ;D

**So, here we go again, thanks given, replies added, reformatted, reread, edited (thank the gods), and all.  
>xx<strong>

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 11<span>  
><strong>

**Day 11.**

I slung the bag over my shoulder, jumping off the stage at the end of rehearsal. To say the least, I hated ever agreeing to the stupid play especially now that I had no idea where I stood with Annabeth; it would be easier if I knew for sure that she would be there for me, to help with all the backwards language and words that I just didn't understand. Chiron was annoyed that I kept messing up. The crew was mad that I stepped on the props. And well, I was just tired of everything not going how I wanted. Yeah, some might say that I was throwing a temper tantrum, but I was just mad, frustrated, and annoyed.

"Percy," Chiron called to me, his voice echoing from the middle of the audience. I could have sworn that the entire cast and crew stopped to watch me walk to him, but I ignored it as being my overactive imagination or something.

I pulled at the strap on my shoulder, dreading whatever Chiron had to say to me, "Yeah?" I questioned, dropping the bag at my feet and taking the chair next to him that he was gesturing at with his hand.

He smiled knowingly, his eyes scanning the stage before they came to rest on me, "School is starting up soon, you know." I nodded, knowing well enough that come two days, not tomorrow, but the day after, I would have to go to school again. "That means you're going to have even less time to really focus on the play. The opening night is the 27th of January, you know. You have to get the lines down before then. You can't keep reading from the book."

"I know," I mumbled, running my sneakers against the bottom of the auditorium ground; there were bits of dust lying against it, being pushed into a pile and flattened by my shoe. I would have rather been dust right then and there than have to listen to Chiron's lecturing.

He nodded, watching the crew fix the prop that I somehow destroyed during practice, "If you can't take the responsibility then just say so. We can find someone else, you know." His voice was short, and I turned to see his brown eyes penetrating mine, serious and concerned. I knew Chiron liked me even though I pretty much sucked at all of English except for the Greek units. You see, I had him for, now, four years because the grade that he taught always seemed to change each year or align perfectly with getting the chance to teach me.

I could have dropped it right now, the play that is, and just go on like life was before. But the problem was, I needed the extra credit, badly, and it just didn't seem like it could have been an option to get kicked off the swim team, "Can't. I need the credit to raise my English grade and stay swim captain."

Chiron smiled knowingly, "Percy, when has your grade ever truly been a problem in my class?" His voice sounded like he was hinting at something, telling me that my grade would somehow miraculously rise within the next month before report cards came out. I shrugged, and he merely continued, "We need someone dedicated to the part, and if you're only in for it for the grade, then I can just scrap together some other work for you to do, and you can be on your way. Think about it," he clasped my shoulder before standing up and limping towards the stage.

I leaned my back against the top of the seat I was in, slinking down so my legs stretched out and went under the next seat. I closed my eyes; there was no way I could possibly do this without having Annabeth help me, and it didn't seem like she would be there anytime soon to help me. I missed her, truth be told, and I would even apologize to her for the argument we got in if it meant getting to talk to her again; I didn't know if she actually missed me. For some reason, I really doubted it. I figured she'd maybe talk to me after crying into my shoulder on the doorstep of her dad's new apartment, but she merely stood up and walked inside after she had stopped crying. It was like I wasn't even there; she didn't even say thanks. Maybe she didn't even know it was me.

"Percy," a familiar voice whispered, and I desperately wished it was Annabeth even though I knew for a fact that it couldn't have been. Slowly opening my eyes, I hoped to see the grey eyes and blonde curls that I had come to miss so much in the span of twenty-four hours. They were green and red. "Um, sorry, are you okay?" Rachel continued onward, awkwardly fidgeting with a paintbrush that she held in her hand.

"Yeah," I stated simply, turning my head away from her and watching the people meander around the stage, fixing props. Calypso was still up there going over some lines with Chiron, and the second I saw her, I felt bad for being the one to ruin her big show.

I heard Rachel sigh, and glancing towards her, I saw her look out towards the stage where I had been looking before. I slid down a seat, letting her sit down that way she didn't have to stand anymore. "How do you feel about Calypso?" Rachel asked abruptly before sitting down in the seat next to me. I turned my head towards her and raised an eyebrow, "Percy, I can't read eyebrows." She chuckled lightly, but I could tell that she was being serious.

I opened my mouth to answer then closed it again, looking back out towards the stage where Calypso stood. She was definitely pretty: her hair fell in ringlets down her back, the brown eyes seemed to, well, sparkle, and her skin always tan. She could almost give Annabeth a run for her money, _almost_, and Calypso as well as everyone else in the school knew that, except for maybe Annabeth. I frowned, "What do you mean?"

"You used to date her," Rachel continued, shifting in her seat uncomfortably. I said nothing, and a silence filled the air in which I spent watching Calypso move about the stage as if she were born to do it; sometimes, I wished that it came that easy to me just as everything seemed to come easy to Annabeth and acting to Calypso. Then, I wondered why I would want to be good at something that I would never truly make use of such as acting. It would just be a wasted talent. "You guys used to date," Rachel broke the silence and interrupted my thoughts.

I shrugged, "I know." Obviously, I just didn't get what Rachel was getting at; this would be when Annabeth would say something about how I was ignorant or clueless and then go on to explain why it truly isn't 'blissful.' _Annabeth…_

"You're going to have to kiss for the play you know," Rachel mentioned timidly, and I nodded, breaking my eyes away from the stage to her. Just because I was clueless and didn't understand Willy Shakespeare didn't mean I lived under a rock. Everyone knew that Romeo and Juliet kissed at least once in the play. "Sometimes…people realize, you know, they realize that they might have feelings…for the other person…even though they're acting. And—and sometimes—"

"What are you trying to say, Rachel?" I cut in again, just wanting to know exactly what she meant and cut out all the cutting around the bush. It would have been a lot easier if girls just told you what they meant and wanted in the first place instead of thinking that you should figure it out. Then, they would just get all mad that you couldn't figure it out and huff and puff until you got into an argument about something else that was stupid and then they told you what they were really mad at; girls made absolutely no sense.

She frowned, slightly, shaking her head and muttering something under her breath before addressing me, "Percy, what if you decide that you have feelings for Calypso after you kiss her?"

I rose my eyebrows, surprised at Rachel's question, "Um, well, I don't think that's going to happen…" I trailed off, not certain as to why Rachel even brought that up as a possibility. Dating Calypso in the first place was a mistake, and I definitely didn't plan to make it again, seeing how I didn't exactly like her that way in the first place.

"Then why did you invite her over to your place to rehearse some lines?" She prodded me, continuing with asking me questions about Calypso which, might I add, I had no where they were even coming from; they were completely out of the blue if you asked me.

I shook my head, "Calypso invited me to rehearse the lines with her, not the other way around. That was the day she decided that I had offered to give her a ride even though I never remembered even doing that." I had no idea where Rachel was getting her facts from, but obviously she needed to employ a fact checker or something since they were pretty far from the truth. Okay, they weren't that far, but they were far enough.

She nodded slightly, seeming to be zoning out before she said, "You know, you have a better chance with Calypso than with Annabeth." Her voice wasn't loud, and I almost could have sworn that I was imagining her saying it if I didn't see her lips move when I heard the voice.

"What—wait, what are you even talking about Rachel?" I sat up straight, now paying full attention to what Rachel was saying. One might say that it was because Annabeth's name was mentioned, and another might say that it was because she was making absolutely no sense. Maybe she had a fever, "Are you sure you're okay? Are you sick or something?"

"No, I'm fine, Percy," she swatted my hand away when I brought it up towards her forehead. "Look, I know you like Annabeth, but you see, the thing is—"

"Hey," I heard a familiar voice behind me say, and I turned to see Annabeth standing near her brother, Malcolm, with Luke behind her, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

I turned back to Rachel, realizing that she had probably finished whatever thought she had been saying to me, "Look, Rachel, you can finish that thought later, right?" She opened her mouth as if to object but then merely nodded, moving out of the aisle to allow me to get out. Grabbing my backpack, I started walking backwards towards Annabeth, saying to Rachel, "Later, alright?" I sent her a thumbs-up and turned around before she could even answer.

Annabeth looked the same, and I guess I expected her to look different. But as I neared closer, I noticed that her face looked tired even though her eyes were sparkling as she talked to Malcolm. She still hadn't noticed me or maybe she had and was acting like I wasn't actually there, "Hey, Malcolm." I clasped his shoulder, just now realizing how odd it was that he was here. "What are you doing here?" I avoided looking at Annabeth, focusing on Malcolm whose grey eyes reminded me distinctly of Annabeth.

He grinned, "Not a fan of Shakespeare, are we?" And, I could have sworn that I heard Annabeth lightly chuckle. But when I glanced at her, she was looking downward at her shoes. Maybe it was wishful thinking, thinking that she was paying attention to me, but I focused my attention back to Malcolm. "I'll take that as a no. Chiron called me to help out with the backdrop and the balcony and all of that stuff. He said he called in Annabeth," he jerked his thumb in her direction, "a couple days ago, but she declined his offer. I'm still trying to figure that one out since Annabeth always jumps at any opportunity to do some form of architecture."

She smiled slightly, mumbling, "I had my reasons, Malcolm," but she only looked at Malcolm and not me.

"Care to share them, sis?" He teased her lightly, and I wished that it were me bugging Annabeth instead of Malcolm.

"No," she shook her head, glaring at Malcolm and sending what I thought to be a silent signal to stop. I missed when it was me who she glared at… Okay, maybe I didn't exactly miss the glares, but you know what I meant.

"Come on," he prodded her side, making Annabeth notably annoyed with him.

Knowing that this wouldn't help my chances of talking to Annabeth, having her annoyed that is, I butted in, "She probably had good reasons, and she doesn't have to share them." For the first time, Annabeth glanced towards me, a confused expression in her soft, grey eyes before glancing away from me yet again. I sighed, running an annoyed hand through my hair, "How long are you going to be here, Malcolm?" I asked, actually pretty curious as to how long he would be sticking around; it would increase the chances that I got to see Annabeth more often.

He shrugged, pulling out his phone and looking through the calendar, "Not too long. I have to go back to the University since my break ends after this week. I was hoping that Annabeth would take over for me afterwards, but she doesn't seem too gong-ho about that one. The main problem is I'll basically only have the blueprints done, if I'm lucky, to give to Chiron before I go back. After that, no one will be there to make sure that the measurements are correct, the angles aren't off, and the right materials are used. It'd be a lot easier if Annabeth would step up and do it, but I don't know what it is…" He said the last part in a whisper, only loud enough for me to hear.

I scratched the back of neck, shifting me eyes to Annabeth who was now talking a couple of feet away with Luke, "We got into an argument a couple of days ago…" I paused, watching the expressions that tumbled over her face before focusing back on Malcolm. "That's probably why she doesn't want to do it."

He raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at me quizzically, "You guys always get into arguments. Something different this time?"

I nodded, opening my mouth to say something, but someone got there before me, "Hey Percy." I felt a weight on my shoulder and looked down to see painting nails along with the long, slender fingers.

"Hi Calypso," I felt the urge to sigh but decided that it wouldn't be worth getting asked why I was sighing and for what specific reason I did it. She rested her chin on my shoulder and of course that was the time Annabeth decided to glance over at me. Her eyes were focused on my shoulder, and I shrugged my shoulder, causing Calypso to lift her head. Of course, that wasn't before Luke shot me a look, and Annabeth had already turned around; this time, I didn't hold back the sigh. "What was that for?" I turned around, facing Calypso who took a step or two back. Surprise showed clearly on her face.

"I-," she began pausing, looking over my shoulder for a second and focusing on me again, "I was just walking over to talk to…" Her brown eyes met my green, and I knew that she really didn't mean any harm in it. I felt bad that I took out my frustration on her even though she didn't really do anything wrong.

I shook my head, running a hand through my hair, "Sorry about that, Calypso. I just have a lot on my mind." And, it was true. A lot of things were going through it at that moment: Annabeth, Calypso, the play, quitting, and whatever Rachel had been trying to tell me earlier about Calypso; I still wasn't exactly sure as to what it could be.

She nodded, timidly, directing her gaze over my shoulder once more before looking back at me, "Chiron told me that he gave you the option to quit. I was just coming over here to hear what you were thinking." Her voice sounded dejected, much like the time when I broke up with her except this time it seemed to lack understanding. Before, it was as if she understood that we couldn't have lasted together, but this time, it was full of misunderstanding and uncertainty.

I frowned slightly, knowing that I would end up disappointing someone no matter what I chose, "I'm still thinking about it, and quitting makes it sound harsher than it would be. Chiron said that there was someone who could fill the spot anyways and that I would get to do something else for extra credit. That would mean everything would work out well for the both of us…" I trailed off, noticing how Calypso's eyes kept flitting to over my shoulder and then back at me.

"Since when were you a quitter," and I could hear the hint of joking underneath the words, but that was way beneath the noticeable stab that only _she_ knew how to make. I turned to meet her stormy grey eyes as Annabeth regarded me, "It's still quitting even if someone fills your spot." She repeated the idea again, this time a tad bit slower as though I might not have understood the first time.

"I got it the first time," I replied, not sure why her words were bothering me so much. Maybe that was what Annabeth wanted—to anger me. I wasn't sure why that might be; however, I couldn't figure out any other reason why she would attempt to bug me about this.

She raised her eyebrows quickly, "Then why do you have to think about it?" Her voice was icy, and none of this made any sense to me for a second. "Plus, you wouldn't want to leave Calypso, now would you?" And then, it finally made sense to me. Annabeth must have thought that something was going on between me and Calypso… Or well, if she was thinking something else, then I was utterly confused.

I paused, glancing towards Luke and Malcolm who took the sign to walk away from us. Sadly, Calypso decided to still stick around, but I just shrugged it off, "You know well enough that I'm not good at Shakespeare." I muttered it under my breath, taking a step closer to her, hoping that she wouldn't back away.

She stood her ground, "Maybe if you really gave it a try then you wouldn't be so bad at it." Her voice wasn't as icy, but her retort came quickly and snappily. It reminded me of when Annabeth and I used to argue when we first met; it was simpler then, before feelings developed and, well, stuff changed. It was just easier back then.

"I could say the same to you," I stated simply, watching as surprise and confusion covered her features before they went back to stoic. I continued before she could say her next comeback, "Since when did you give up the chance at doing something that involved architecture?"

She shook her head, the curls falling back into their normal place once she stopped, "Since when did you keep things from your so-called best friend like the fact that you had a girlfriend?" _Was this was it was really about? She thought I was keeping things from her?_ I wondered as she directed a finger towards Calypso. I glanced towards Calypso and nodded towards the stage, hoping that she would take the signal as meaning that she should leave; I was lucky because she did but not before rubbing my shoulder much to Annabeth's obvious annoyance. I knew she was only trying to comfort me, but Calypso definitely didn't pick the right time.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair again, "I don't have a girlfriend, Annabeth. Calypso and I are just friends." I probably sounded tired, and honestly, I was. I was tired of having arguments now with Annabeth over things that just, truly, weren't worth it. I didn't get why she was mad, but most of all, I didn't get why I had gotten mad. I simply didn't want to get mad.

She paused for a second, examining me with her grey eyes before saying a very un-Annabeth, "Oh..." I smiled lightly at the response and could have sworn that the corner of her lips went up slightly, "So, are you going to quit?"

I shrugged, and she nodded her head, as if considering the options she had, "Are you going to do the architecture-y stuff for the play?" I noticed her expression turn sour, so I threw in, honestly, "They really need you to help them, Annabeth. There's no one better cut out for it than you."

"And, what about you?" She barely said the words, but from what I could hear, they were dipped in sadness and sprinkled with disappointment. I didn't realize that I had said 'they' until her response, and I truly considered it. Maybe the problem was that she knew they needed her help; that was obvious. Annabeth may be modest, but she knew she was good when she was good. Maybe the problem was that she didn't know if I truly needed or wanted her help. Maybe that was it. But more likely, I was probably overthinking it, something that I almost never do. Or maybe, I was under-thinking it. Yeah, that was more likely. _ And, what about you?_ I was definitely under-thinking whatever was happening. "I'll consider it," her voice was stiff, and then I wasn't certain if she had said the first four words at all anymore. I nodded, watching the conflict pass over her face. She sighed, tugging on the end on one of her curls, "Luke and I were going to get hot chocolate." Her face contorted into a somewhat painful expression before she uttered, "Do you want to join?"

I tried to bite back the smile, but I had a feeling that it wasn't working out too well. "Yeah, sure." I paused, watching her once worried expression turn relaxed and knew there was only one thing I needed to add, "As long as it's blue." And for the first time since our big argument, she smiled: no, not one of those half smiles or anything like that.

She really smiled.

**…**

"Percy," Luke paused, glancing at me as we sat inside the ice cream shop, "why is your whipped cream blue?"

I shrugged, stirring the whipped cream into the rest of the hot chocolate. "It's a long story, but to make it short, it was kind of proving someone wrong about there not being blue food. So, now I eat blue food. Makes everything better." Annabeth chuckled lightly, avoiding my gaze.

Luke nodded, tapping the side of his coffee cup. "I guess you're not the poster boy of the perfect life." _Perfect life?_ Yeah, I was definitely pretty far from that one.

"What made you think that?" I scoffed, deciding whether or not I wanted to risk burning the edge of my tongue on the hot chocolate that was definitely going to be too hot.

Luke shrugged, changing the rhythm that he tapped on the cup. "Percy, half the girls in the grade want you, your best friend's Annabeth, and for some reason, all the teachers seem to love you. Plus, you have Mr. Blofis for a dad, and you have to have a good family life. There you go. Poster boy for the perfect life." Luke said it as though there could be no other possible way for things to go, as if it were obvious that I was perfect.

Yeah, me perfect? Not in a million years. "You don't know a thing about me, Luke," I said, shaking my head in annoyance. Maybe I didn't wallow in all my problems, but it didn't mean my life was exceptionally perfect like he made it out to be. Plus, Annabeth and I weren't even on good footing; he knew that one himself.

"I know enough," Luke stated, downing the rest of his hot chocolate as though there wasn't a chance that it might burn his throat. "You don't know what having a hard life is like, Percy."

"Guys, let's not get into it," Annabeth interrupted, turning the cup of hot chocolate in her hands uncomfortably. "No one has the perfect life, and neither one of you really knows what's going in the other's life." She rolled her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief, "I can't believe the two of you were really going to get into it over whether or not Percy has the perfect life, which, Luke, he doesn't."

"Aren't you the voice of reason," Luke teased, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his side. If it weren't for the fact that Annabeth didn't seem to at all enjoy it, I probably would have felt somewhat jealous… or, well, I at least would have disliked it.

"Shut up," Annabeth said, pushing Luke away from her and coming to walk with in the middle again, equal distance between Luke, Annabeth, and myself. She glanced towards me quickly, looking away the second she met my eye.

I felt pretty awkward, truth be told. It was more than obvious that Luke didn't want me there, especially the way that he attempted to get me pissed off and probably would have had Annabeth not stepped in and cooled the situation down. Plus, if I liked Annabeth, I wouldn't want Luke being invited in some. Okay, so I like Annabeth and don't want Luke around even though I didn't exactly invite Annabeth to go and get hot chocolate, Luke did. So, I guess I can't rea—

"Oh, sorry!" A lady exclaimed while continuing away from me after she had bumped into me, sending me into Annabeth.

I was only thankful for the fact that my entire hot chocolate wasn't spilled onto me. "It's okay," I muttered even though she was over twenty feet away. Obviously, she was _really_ worried about my possible health. Yeah, that's what I get for being on the far left when there are people walking in both directions.

Feeling something warm brush against my hand, I glanced down, finally realizing just how close Annabeth and I were. She met my gaze, this time not breaking it, and gave me a small smile, squeezing my hand and letting it go as well as breaking her gaze from mine. I missed being this close to her, and I didn't want to move away. So, I didn't.

"Hey, Percy," Luke called my attention, tossing something towards me. "Do you watch the NHL?" I shook my head, lightly bumping my arm against Annabeth's as we continued walking to… Well, I really had no idea where we were going. I just sort of kept walking with them. "You're missing out then. Well, I guess not really since they cancelled the season. It sucks." I glanced down to see the newspaper he tossed to me, a headline talking about the NHL on it.

I nodded, sort of following what he was saying but really paying attention to the way that Annabeth's hand kept bumping against mine. "Must suck," I said, noticing that Luke had stopped talking and was probably waiting for an answer or a reaction or something from me.

He gave me a weird look before continuing, "Yeah, it really sucks. I mean, the players couldn't just give up a little money and come to an agreement with the owners?" Tossing the newspaper back towards him, I simply nodded, not really sure what else to do seeing how hockey wasn't my sport.

"It's not that simple," Annabeth stated, shaking her head lightly. "Why should the players have to give up the money that they fought to gain back to the owners who definitely aren't in need of the money. The owners aren't the reason that people fill stadiums to watch the sport. It's the players. If you ask me, it makes perfect sense that the players didn't just give in to the owners." Yeah, just like everything else Annabeth said, it made sense to me. Besides architecture, everything she said made sense to me, that is.

"Exactly why I didn't ask you," Luke joked, turning his attention to me. "Whose side are you on, Perce, mine or Annabeth's? Think of it this way. The players lost their chance to play a sport that they're supposed to love over a couple of dollars." _I guess that's true_, I thought, not exactly certain as to why he wanted to know what I thought of it; maybe it was Luke just being…_nice_.

"Millions," Annabeth corrected, rolling her eyes at Luke's attempt to sway me to his side, "and you really think Percy can't tell that you're attempting to make him agree with you? It's really obvious." _Oh yeah, sure, definitely._

I chuckled, knowing that Annabeth had no plans in letting Luke simply manipulate me into agreeing. "Well, I gotta say that I agree with Annabeth on this one…" I trailed off, not entirely sure as to why what I thought really made a difference. "Not that it truly matters," I added in uncertainly. I mean, seriously, I don't even watch hockey for a second.

Annabeth stuck her tongue out at Luke, laughing at her childish actions; I smiled not at her actions but at the sound of her laugh. "Are you sure you don't want to try to be the only girl in the NHL and not an architect?" Luke questioned, shaking his head with a smile on his face.

"Hockey isn't really my thing, and I can't build something permanent doing that," Annabeth explained, tugging on a curl absentmindedly before taking another sip of her hot chocolate.

"Build something permanent," I muttered under my breath, tugging at a memory that seemed not too far away. "Build something permanent…"

"_Her dream job?" I asked Mr. Chase_

_"Doctor?" He questioned._

_I shook my head, "Architect. What she wants to build?"_

_"A building?"_

_"Wrong," I shouted, not believing that he didn't even know what Annabeth wanted to not only build but __achieve__ in life. "She wants to build something permanent. Do you even know why?" He shook his head, his face seeming to have sunken and fallen more heavily, "Because of reasons like this. Because her family doesn't even know her, and she feels like everyone she cares about," I paused, before saying the last two words more quietly with realization, "leaves her," and maybe I was doing the same thing._

Annabeth nodded, sending me a confused look. "You act like that's such a big surprise or something."

"Or something," I muttered, taking a sip of the hot chocolate so that I wouldn't have to meet her confused gaze. _And she feels like everyone she cares about leaves her_, I replayed the words in my head again, shifting my gaze to Annabeth who was laughing at whatever Luke must have said. _Everyone she cares about leaves her_, and I felt myself being grouped into that everyone. I didn't want to be grouped into that everyone, even if it meant suffering while Annabeth dated someone else.

"—way you're dragging me into some chick flick of a movie. Wasn't making me suffer through _He's Just Not That into You_ bad enough?" Luke groaned, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Bring Percy along or something, but I'm definitely not going. Not even if we were the last two people on Earth."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "I think there would be bigger problems than the fact that your ego might just have to shrink a little because you _love_ chick flicks if it were the end of the world. I can assure you that you would not be dragging me into a chick flick."

"Woah, wait a second, since when was I the one dragging you into a chick flick," Luke laughed, shaking his head in complete disbelief. "You've got it completely wrong."

"I don't know, Luke," I joked, laughing along with Annabeth, "I could really see you with a box of tissues and crying because Bella kissed Jacob. Can't forget the team Edward shirt either. Definitely cannot forget that part."

"In your dreams," Luke retorted, chucking his cup into a nearby garbage can.

"I can assure you that you're not in my dreams," I shot back, earning a high five from Annabeth.

Luke raised an eyebrow, amusement in his eyes, "We all know you dream about Annabeth, Percy. There's no need to try to hide it. Just let it all out now because I just _love_ confessions just like I _love_ chick flicks." If I wasn't aware of the fact that he was joking, that probably would have been one of the most awkward moments of my life…

"Okay, alright," I played along, tossing an arm around Annabeth's shoulder, "I think it's time that I just let it all out and came clean. I am hopelessly in love with Annabeth, and every night, I wish that I could have the chance to marry her. But, since that will only happen in my dreams, I savor them every single night and hate waking up to the reality that I will never, ever have a chance." Luke grinned, breaking his expression of being serious. Annabeth merely shook her head, a smile on her lips. To be honest, I was having way too much fun to let it stop there, "So, I think today is the day I let it all out. Annabeth Chase," I cleared my throat and yelled, "I love you more than even the air I breathe, the sun I get energy from, and the water I swim in. Will you make me the happiest guy in the univer—"

She clasped a gloved hand over my mouth, looking around at all the smiling faces who were watching us. "If I say yes, will you stop yelling?"

I shrugged, playing it up for the audience we had gained, "Why don't we find out?" I asked a bit louder than a normal level through the holes made by Annabeth's gloved fingers.

Annabeth rolled her eyes while Luke did his best not to drop to the ground laughing, "Yeah, sure."

"Victory," I exclaimed, pumping my hand into the air while the people around us applauded, slapping me on the shoulder before going back to their normal life. I grinned down at Annabeth who rolled her eyes again and shook her head. "I love you?" I countered back, knowing she wasn't the biggest fan of random attention.

"Remind me of that when I get out the divorce papers," she shot back, not able to suppress her grin. I pulled her closer to my side, pressing a kiss to her temple as she pushed me away. Did I also mention she didn't like when I, and I quote her, _tried to be cute_ when she was slightly annoyed? Okay, any amount annoyed.

Luke laughed, clapping his hands together. "Percy, I love you, man. I had no idea you had the guts to do that."

I shrugged, not really seeing the big deal in it. "'Course you didn't chick flick boy," I chuckled, while all three of us continued to crack up at the fact that people truly believed that I was proposing to Annabeth. So yeah, maybe a part of it was sort of true, and I'll let you decide which part, but no one needed to know that.

But the thing that I realized as we reminisced over what had occurred earlier with many laughs following suit, I could definitely get used to it, the three of us being friends, and maybe that was what I had to realize to continue to be in Annabeth's life. I mean sure, I still had no idea where I stood with Annabeth, but I had a feeling that wherever I was, things would end up alright…

**…**

**January 3rd**** ~ Day 11.**

**…**

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, so what'd you think? I thought it was nice, and well, I was kind of in a fluff-ish mood, obviously. For the next chapter, expect fluff and lots of it. It's been a while since there have been some nice percabeth moments in this story, but don't worry, I'll get back to the angst soon enough after the next chapter ;) Oh, if you guys want to know what I was working on that took over my days… It's my percabeth one shot ****The Christmas Wish List****. So yep, that's why this wasn't updated faster. I'd love for you guys to check it out.**

**Until next time, where there very well may be some nice percabeth moments ;)**

**~ Jamieee.  
>26 RAK.<strong>

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><p><strong>Anonymous Review Replies<br>Love you guys and thanks for taking the time to read and review.**

_Sweetpurplecandy – Thanks! Sorry about the long wait._

_Riku – Thanks! I hope you know that the last part made me mentally breakout into song ;)_

_Guest – Oh, sweet. Happy (really belated) Birthday! Think of that as an early birthday present or this as a really belated one…?_

_Pandastyle – I like the name, first off. Second, thanks! Hm, you hate Annabeth? I can honestly say __that I've never watched that tv show, but I have seen the previews for it. It didn't really peak my inte__r__est; in fact, the name alone kind of made me think of, like, a scary movie where the killer comes into the apartment or the apartment is haunted. Nonetheless, I'm glad you like the story!_

_B – Eyo, B. Ah, I bet this one was more than a bit too long, though. Aw, wow, thanks. Yes, Mr. Chase definitely has quite a bit to take care of and workout at the moment…_

_Bobz1212 – Hm, I don't know. That's a good question. ;) Looks like we'll have to wait to find out. That has been Percy's plan from the beginning, though._

_Annonomos – Thanks! Ahhh, sorry about the long update time._

_Bobz1212 (2) – Sorry about the long wait._

_D – Sorry 'bout the wait._


	12. Day 12

**Only Thirty Days  
>Summary: <strong>Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: ** _Mookeypoop, OtakusRule, WisestOwl, Guest, PercyJackson is __SeaweedBrain, Agent Astro Zombie (seriously, thank you so much for your review on this chapter), CimFan, littlebitclever, girlwithteelearings, Anonymous, Chelqi, Guest, Tajee615, XxPerliaxFabinaxX, AwkwardGems, Mitzipitzi, Athena grl huntress, Awesomel, Gu__est, Guest, seaweedbrainsgirl717, B, Air Flare, Me.  
><em>**Disclaimer: **I don't own PJO…

**A/N: **I really just wanted to thank each and every one of you who has read any one of my stories. I don't know; it just hit me how many people have reviewed and favorite either one of my stories or me as an author. I just want to say thank you so much because I wouldn't be here without you guys. Yeah, I had good grammar because I love it, but it's you guys who stick with me and my over-detailedness. I don't know. It just really hit me today for some reason, and I want to thank you guys for sticking with me through my horrendous update times and story ideas. Really, thank you guys so much; I'm sorry I suck at replying to PMs as of late, and just really, thank you.

Thank you guys so much, and I hope you enjoy a bit/whole lot of percabeth-ness.

**xx**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 12<span>  
><strong>

**Day 12.**

"Hey, Mr. Chase," I sent him a smile as he swung the door open with a beer in hand and slight scowl on his face. The scruff that sprinkled his face gave him an unkempt look that I definitely was not used to seeing. In fact, Mr. Chase was the one person whom I had never seen look unkempt in his life, until that day. He raised his eyebrows, not seeming at all amused, and well, I didn't blame him. "I wanted to apologize for what I said two days ago," I added in, knowing that I was pretty harsh before.

He waved his hand as if it was no big deal, and I wondered whether or not he was actually drunk at the moment. _How many times had he been drunk before, and I just n__ever knew it?_ "What you said made sense," he began, spinning the unopened beer in his hand, "but I was drunk and wasn't ready to hear it." He paused, tapping on the top of the beer, "I think I'm going to put this one away." His sigh surprised me as he leaned against the doorframe. "I'm trying, Percy. You have to believe me. Times just aren't easy," he shook his head, letting out another frustrated sigh. I decided he was probably sober right then and there. "But hey, I'm guessing you're here to see Annabeth, not listen to all of my woes."

I nodded, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly. "I went—" I stopped, not certain as to if I could really call where Mr. Chase, Annabeth, and the rest of their family used to live their home. For some reason, it didn't seem like a _home_ with the two of them missing from it. "Matt and Bobby said that she went to visit you." Deciding that if I said anything more it probably wouldn't come out correctly, I stopped there. It was more than likely a good idea.

"Yeah, she's here," he stated, swinging the door back more to let me in. "I'm probably as surprised as you are, Percy." He mumbled the last bit, but I had a feeling he meant for me to hear it.

I shrugged, not seeing as to what there was to be surprised about. "She still loves you," I said simply, knowing that there wasn't much more to explain. Annabeth may have loved Mathew and Bobby, but her father would always have a really big place in her heart. He was her father whether or not they had the best relationship there ever was between son and daughter; they just couldn't compare it to that of any one else.

"Eh, I don't understand why sometimes, but like I said, we are not going to keep talking about me," he ended the conversation, leading me further into the apartment and stopping in the living room. "First room on the left, down that hall," he pointed towards a short-ish hall that ended with a door. "She'll be happy to see you," he added with a smile that reminded me of when I used to visit Annabeth when we were younger, back when things seemed easy: no fights seemed to occur and alcohol didn't seem to exist.

Walking down the hall, I considered the multiple ways that I could block myself from a possible attack from Annabeth. I would probably block my arms seeing how she always punched those. Then and again, the legs would be easy to get to with a nice kick. Or, maybe she would go for the face… Okay, so I'm joking about the last part. However, I really wasn't sure how Annabeth would react to me being there in the first place. I was hoping that it would be a good reaction as I turned the doorknob to meet her first surprised then smiling face. _Yeah, it appeared to be a good reaction._

"Hi," I said, not sure of what else there was to say. Okay, so there was probably a lot more to say at that time, but nothing else was coming to my brain. Plus, there has never been something wrong with saying hi.

She rolled her eyes, gesturing for me to come in, "What are you doing here?" I guess I wasn't too surprised by that question. I mean, we had been fighting recently and all.

Closing the door, I looked around the room, not that there was much to see besides a couple of white walls, a desk, a bed, and a bedside table. It was short of showing any real signs of it being Annabeth's room. "Well, Matt and Bobby said you were here."

"I meant…" She paused, cocking her head to the side, biting her lip to keep her smile at bay, "Percy, I meant why did you come to see me." I cleared my throat, wondering if it really were a mistake that I came to visit Annabeth. "Not that I'm unhappy to see you," she amended quickly, setting the book down on her bed that had been in her hands a few seconds earlier. "It's just that… with the way we had ended things three days ago and a few days before that as well…"

"Yeah, those didn't go too well?" I asked aloud, not really looking for any real answer from her. I took a deep breath, trying to put down the nerves that seemed to come out of nowhere. "I figured that we should spend the last day of winter break like we normally did. You know, just hanging out and doing nothing."

"We were always so productive," Annabeth joked, her grey eyes sparkling. It had been a while since I had seen her that happy, even if it were for a passing moment.

I grinned, "What better way is there to make the day last really long than doing nothing?" Really, there's no better way to do it, if you ask me.

She raised an eyebrow, shaking her head lightly. "You have always had weird logic, Seaweed Brain." Her eyes scanned my face quickly before she pushed the book onto the table next to her bed and beckoned me over. "So, what were your plans then, to do nothing?"

Walking over to her, I sat on her bed, wondering how we could always go back to normal so quickly. It was something that I could never figure out, and I was pretty certain Annabeth didn't know how either. "Well, I figured talking would be a good way to make the time last really long, especially if you go on and on about architecture and crown moldings and scaffolding and water and sand and wood," I teased her, drawling at each word that I said.

"Shut up," she shoved me lightly, rolling her eyes. "I don't talk about water when I talk about architecture." _Could of fooled me…_ Then and again, I tended to zone out at the first time of anything being about architecture.

I raised an eyebrow. "And the most amazing thing about the Empire State Building," I said, changing my voice into one obnoxiously high where I could barely even talk, "is that they cut out a mote so that they could fill it with _water_."

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head more vigorously. "Okay, I don't even talk like that, number one. And number two, the Empire State Building does not have a mote. So, I don't know what New York you have been living in all _your_ life."

Alright, so maybe the Empire State Building didn't have a mote, but I didn't think Annabeth would go all logical on me… Who was I kidding? I just didn't think it through at all. "Puhh," I blew out a breath, in disbelief, "obviously you still think you're in California."

"Percy, I barely even remember California. I was two years old when I moved here," she explained, shifting backwards on the bed to rest her back against the wall. She closed her eyes for a second, and I took the time to notice the way the corners of her eyes still crinkled slightly due to the small smile on her lips. Man, I had missed her.

I untied my shoes so that I could get more comfortable, not wanting to put my sneakers on her bed. "Do you think you would be different if you had stayed there?" It was a valid question that I often thought about whenever it came up that she had lived in California. _Would she still be Annabeth? Would she still be _this_ Annabeth?_

"Hmm?" She asked, probably looking for some form of clarification.

"I mean, you would fit in California really well," I explained, earning an eyebrow raise from Annabeth. "You know what I mean. You're tan, have blonde hair, and the only thing that ruins it is the fact that you have startling grey eyes and not blue. So, do you think you'd still love architecture and everything had you stayed in California?" _Would you still be Annabeth?_ I added in silently, not having the confidence to ask her it.

She let out a breath, "I don't know, really." Her face changed into an expression of thought while I pulled my legs onto her bed. "I'd like to think that I would be the same, but I wouldn't have met you. So, I guess I could never know."

"Like I made a big difference," I joked, but really, what difference could I have made in her life? I figured being in New York would be what made the difference and all the other people here, not me specifically. Sure, Annabeth made a significant mark on my life, but I guess I never thought the same could true of me for her.

She rolled her eyes, smiling at me affectionately, something that I hadn't seen in a while and, well, dearly missed. "You've made a difference, Percy. I've known you for too long for you to have not, Seaweed Brain."

I shrugged, sliding back on her bed to sit next to her against the wall. "So, are you saying that your life would just be absolutely miserable had you not met me? You would be crying every day because you didn't have a clueless kid as your best friend? No one to go to…" I joked lightly, not taking the turn in conversation entirely serious. It still didn't make sense to me that I could have made such an impression upon Annabeth Chase.

"Oh definitely," she joked along, flattening my hair with her hand absentmindedly. It was something that she normally did after my hair got past a certain length. That generally occurred because my hair got really unruly during that time. "But seriously, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you, Percy." _Seriously_, I repeated that and the rest of the sentence probably a thousand times in my head; she was being serious then.

Turning my head towards her, I raised my eyebrows, surprised at the fact that she was actually saying anything close to being heartfelt. It definitely wasn't a _normal_ Annabeth thing to do. It probably had something to do with the fact that we had more arguments than normal the past few days. Wait, let me clarify that, we had _actual_ arguments because it was common that we didn't agree on something multiple times on a daily basis. "We haven't been getting along well," I complained, tired of all the arguments we had before and missing the times like these, times where everything seemed easy. Yeah, easy was nice, nice and simple.

She nodded, still messing with my hair. "I'm sorry about that," and I knew she was because there was not a hint of jest in her voice or an expression of it on her face.

"I am too," I said honestly, rubbing my head against her hand for a second, evoking a smile from her.

She sighed, flattening the back of my hair, more than likely unsuccessfully. "Can we talk about it another day? I just don't want to spend our last day of winter break talking about that."

As much as I wanted to get it out into the open, looking into Annabeth's eyes told me that now was not the time to have that conversation. And looking back on it, I was happy that we could just have a normal day together like before things got in the way as of late. "Sure, I think I can do that." Plus, I was too tired to really argue with her anyways.

She sent me a thankful smile. "Please tell me you're getting a haircut today." Annabeth always seemed to be the one to dictate when my hair got too long, and the second my mom heard it from Annabeth's mouth, the two of them would gang up on me to get my hair cut. _Otherwise_, they'd claim, they would do it themselves, and I _wouldn't like the outcome_.

"I'm getting a haircut today," I said obediently, keeping my expression serious.

She punched my arm lightly before going back to flatten my unruly hair. "I'm being serious. How long did you plan on growing it? It's already at the bottom of your neck." I really didn't think it was that long or anything…

I shrugged, running a hair through my hair to only earn an annoyed look from Annabeth. I did it out of habit, alright, not to mess up whatever neatening she had accomplished. "I was thinking mid back would look pretty hot, don't you think?"

"Maybe if we were cave people that would be impressive," Annabeth sarcastically replied, rolling her eyes at my question.

"Girls grow their hair that long all the time and are really excited about that fact," I retorted, resting my head in her lap to lie down. It was something that we used to do before almost all the time, and, well, I was also tired and in need of a nap.

She shook her head, playing with my hair now instead of attempting to get it under control. "It's a good thing I love you," she remarked easily, pulling lightly on a couple of strands.

"Does this mean we're getting married?" I asked, looking up into her grey eyes in an attempt to be romantic. I was certain I was failing. "Should I set the wedding date and call those people on the street. I bet that lady who ran into me would _love_ being the flower girl." Yep, I was definitely failing, but there was nothing wrong with trying. Plus, it was all in good jest.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, running her hands absentmindedly through my hair. "I can't believe you went that far yesterday."

I cocked my head to the side in place of shrugging, "I didn't think much of it, honestly. It was just to have some fun, and it's not like I really knew any of those people anyways. Plus, it was worth it to make you…and Luke laugh." When she ran her fingers through my hair, I closed my eyes out of enjoyment, the feeling being something close to heavenly.

"Sometimes I forget how sweet you can be," she said with a slight tease in her voice, continuing to run her fingers through my hair. However, the rest of her tone told me she was being rather serious.

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by her comment. "Me? Sweet? Don't let it get around. It'll change my reputation." I jested, deciding to play on the light, teasing tone instead of her serious one.

"Oh yes," Annabeth joked along, sliding my hair off my forehead, "if it gets out, then the _remaining_ half of the girls will want you, too. Now, _that_ would be such a problem," she joked but I sensed something serious in her underlying tone that could almost be lost, but I somehow caught.

"It wouldn't matter," I said, yawning as I started to be lolled to sleep. It wasn't that the talking was boring, but I was actually fairly tired when I first arrived. Plus, she wasn't talking about architecture, so it wasn't like I didn't understand what she was saying.

Her fingers' movement paused for a second before she continued onward. "And, why is that?" Her voice was quieter than before as it barely made it into my consciousness. Or maybe, it sounded quieter because I was almost asleep at that time. Yeah, it was probably that one.

I'm not certain what I said, but whatever it was, it made Annabeth stop running her fingers through my hair, right before I fell completely asleep.

**…**

Maybe it was because I was just waking up, but Annabeth's legs felt a lot softer than I had previously remembered. I stretched, yawning, becoming aware of the fact that there must have been something wrong with Annabeth's legs since they were feeling remarkably soft, too soft.

"Finally waking up?" I heard Annabeth say, her voice sounding further away than just being right above me.

I groaned, burying my head deeper into what appeared to _not_ be Annabeth's legs the longer I laid there. "Your legs got a lot softer while I was sleeping," I muttered, inhaling a scent that could only be Annabeth's, a slight hint of lemon that worked well only for her.

She chuckled lightly, the bed sinking slightly to my left before I felt Annabeth's hand run through my hair once. "That's because your head's on a pillow, Seaweed Brain," she explained, ruffling my hair lightly before removing her hand altogether; I groaned, missing it.

I opened my eyes slowly to see Annabeth bending over a book, probably the one she had been reading when I first walked in her room. There were times where I wondered if she would spend all her time reading if she didn't have to go to school and do other things. "Time?" I asked, closing my eyes again, wanting to go back to sleep.

"Three," she said quickly, and I guessed that she was already back to reading her book once again. Although I was tempted to tell her to just read it aloud, I knew it would probably just end up putting me back to sleep. That, of course, would not do anything to help me at all, especially when Annabeth would become slightly offended by the fact that I fell asleep...

"How long was I asleep?" I asked, too lazy to do the math myself. Plus, I had no idea when I fell asleep, and I figured Annabeth had probably made note of it without even trying. She was good at that.

I could tell that she was rolling her eyes before she replied, not even needing to open my eyes and see it. "Two hours, Seaweed Brain." I heard a book close and opened my eyes to see Annabeth looking at me quizzically. "Talk to me about the play," she said simply, her expression set.

I raised an eyebrow, turning onto my back to look up at her ceiling. _Where to start…_ "What about the play?" I asked, knowing that she probably didn't want to hear all about the normal rehearsal days and notes that I got for my horrible acting.

"Wherever you want to start," she said, shifting on the bed to, my guess at least, get more comfortable.

I drummed on my stomach absentmindedly. "I hate the play. I suck at acting and am going to ruin it for Calypso in the end. I'm only doing it because everyone just wants me to, and I don't want to let anyone down including you." I glanced up to see Annabeth raise an eyebrow. "Yesterday you told me I wasn't a quitter."

She rolled her eyes, pursing her lips for a second. "Yesterday, I meant that you shouldn't quit the play because Chiron offered. You never just give up. I meant that you shouldn't let the fact that you weren't getting something right away make you quit." Annabeth paused, pulling at the end of one of her curls before directing her gaze to me. "You shouldn't quit because you hate the play but—"

"Because I wouldn't want to ruin the play for everyone just because I need the extra credit," I finished what she was going to say, happy to have Annabeth back to give me, well, words of wisdom. That _was_ why her nickname was Wise Girl, after all. "This is why I keep you around," I teased, Annabeth just shaking her head in response. "So, why won't you do all that crown molding and architecture stuff?"

"Crown molding," Annabeth muttered under her breath before actually addressing me. "You know that Rachel, Calypso, and I don't exactly get along well," she began, beginning to play with that same curl she had pulled on, seemingly unconsciously. "I didn't want to make you have to choose between them or me by being around the play. And plus, we weren't exactly on the best terms when Chiron asked me about it."

Knowing that Annabeth was serious, I sat up next to her, tugging on the end of one of her curls lightly. "You love architecture," I stated simply.

"I know," she sighed, pushing a stray curl behind her ear, "but I didn't want to be the best friend who makes things complicated for you. I get why Calypso and Rachel don't like me, but it doesn't mean I was going to be the reason that you guys stopped being friends." Yeah, if only I completely understood why all three girls didn't get along well… that would make things a heck of a lot easier.

"You know I'd do anything for you," I told her, putting my arm around her shoulder. It was true; I'd probably hold up the sky for her or go across the world if it meant saving her from any form of danger, however big or small.

She nodded, resting her head on my shoulder. "That's problem. You shouldn't have to give up your life just to appease me." Just to what..?

I furrowed my eyebrows, not entirely certain what she meant. "Appease?"

"Satisfy me," she explained, turning her head to rest her forehead on my shoulder. "You shouldn't have to give up two of your friends just because I don't get along with them." _But, I would if that was what it meant to__ keep Annabeth as my best friend…_ and I guess that was the problem that Annabeth was getting at.

"Oh, makes sense," I muttered, biting the inside of my lip in thought. "Well, then, you shouldn't let that get in the way of the fact that you love architecture more than anything in the world." Believe me, I still sometimes wonder if Annabeth likes architecture more than she likes me, me being her best friend and all.

She rested her chin on my shoulder to look up at me, "When did you get so wise?" Her grey eyes met my green, and I wondered what I would possibly do if our friendship was actually destroyed by the fights we had.

I shrugged the other shoulder. "It helps having you for a best friend." Yeah, I know, corny and whatever but it's the truth.

Annabeth looked at me for a second, quizzically, before asking slowly. "Percy, do you remember what you said to me before you fell asleep?"

I scratched the back of my head, the time back then appearing pretty fuzzy. It was mixed with fingers in my hair and that blurriness that came with being on the brink of sleep. "Uh, not really…" I ran my hand over the front of my hair, "Should I remember?"

She shook her head, resting her cheek back on my shoulder. "Nope, I was just curious." Sure, Annabeth could be curious. However, the original look on her face told me she had a purpose for asking what she did. It also told me that she had no plans for telling me what that purpose was.

"Curious," I muttered, knowing well enough that there was more, but I wouldn't ask. No, I would just let it sit on top of the pile of things Annabeth and I merely pushed away for a later date. I wondered when that would be, when we would sit down and hash it all out. There would probably be crying, yelling, anger, sadness, and maybe, just maybe, there would be some happiness? I wasn't too certain about that one. "Curious," I said, again, tossing the word around my mouth as I leaned my head against the wall, "didn't that kill the cat?"

"Curiosity killed the cat," Annabeth corrected, lifting her head off my shoulder to lean it against her wall, "and it's a good thing I'm not a cat." _Yes because it would be rather awkward if I felt about a cat the way I felt about you._

I nodded, stowing that away for a later time as well. I would ask her what it meant, why curiosity was such a bad thing in this case. Wasn't it what everyone had always wanted? Wasn't it what we were always instructed to be? Curious? To want to learn? At what point were we supposed to stop being so curious? "Why?" I asked, deciding that there was no better time to ask than now.

She raised an eyebrow, looking at me inquiringly. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged, not certain as to whether or not I really should ask; why was I so worried about the time to ask? Before all the arguments, I never considered if it was the right time to ask things; I just did it. So why, now, when our time may have been numbered, the numbers getting infinitely smaller, did I hesitate to ask? "Curiosity," I continued, forcing myself to forget about the arguments, "why did it kill the cat?"

She looked amused, and I wasn't sure why that was. But seconds later, her expression turned into something thoughtful, almost as if she weren't truly seeing this time period but reliving an earlier memory that she had. Her lips turned slightly upward. "Because," her voice seemed far away, lost in another reality, "because sometimes you find out too much or get into things that you shouldn't." Her eyes focused on mine, the seriousness evident. "In terms of the literal cat, they could get killed if they became too curious in the kitchen. Metaphorically, in terms of a human, curiosity may lead us to find out things that we don't want to know, things that could hurt us or as a child devoid of one's innocence."

"Devoid?" I asked for clarification, having somewhat followed what she was saying up until that point.

The amused expression came again. However, her voice remained serious as she said, "Devoid, lacking, without." And sometimes, I wondered if she herself had been too curious.

**…**

We talked for hours, sometimes about unimportant things ("It would be ridiculous to ask the lunch ladies to make blue food especially for you, Seaweed Brain." "What about as an April Fool's joke?" "… Good luck."), other times about significant things. Okay, so most of the things were unimportant, however they didn't always appear to be that way around Annabeth. Many times, the things we spoke about seemed to be of the utmost significance as we lay sprawled on her bed, speaking of school, people, cats, and dogs. _"Yes, Percy, I suppose you could say curiosity killed the dog."_ It was odd how it worked out, how we just fell back into our normal swing of things, but each of us knew that our pile of issues was sitting right outside that room, waiting to be confronted. That pile, though, it could wait until another day. Because eventually we would confront it, that day was not the day for such matters.

"Annabeth… I should go," I muttered with great reluctance, glancing towards the clock that said it was nearing nine thirty. I wanted to stay; I wanted to talk more. I just wanted to not leave her room and face the fact that we still had problems that needed fixing.

She pursed her lips, glancing towards the clock herself before fixing her attention to me. "Yeah, you should probably go soon," she conceded, her lips closing tightly thereafter as if there were more words that wanted to come tumbling out.

They didn't, though, and it was probably because Annabeth was too stubborn to say them.

I nodded, scratching the back of my head as a time killer. No, I didn't want to kill the time because I actually wanted it to last longer. I wanted to stop the time and just stay there forever, where it seemed easy, where I didn't have to think about our fights, Luke, and going to school the next day. "Yeah, I have to drive home," I explained, remembering the fact that I at least wouldn't have to pay a meter fine since Albert, their doorman of sorts, had let me park in the parking garage.

"_Really_? I thought you had to walk," Annabeth retorted, a small smirk spreading across her face. It was a good thing that sarcasm didn't hurt my feelings or else I would probably be weeping on the floor after spending five minutes with Annabeth. Plus, I originally didn't get sarcasm when she first started using it, so it really just made her be even more sarcastic in the first place. Sarcasm was hard, alright?

I shrugged, tapping her bed absentmindedly. "Yeah because that would be _such_ a nice walk," I replied, continuing to tap out some random beat that I made up in my head on her bed. It was a way for me to do something, since I had never been good at having to sit still for any period in time, much less an extended one.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, the corners of her lips bending downwards. "I don't want this day to end," she whispered quietly, closing her eyes as she let her head rest against the wall behind her, her neck extending.

I smiled slightly, turning my head to look at her, a wayward curl having fallen out of her ponytail. It was random, yes, but I knew she was speaking exactly what was on both of our minds; I, too, didn't want it to end. "Why?" I asked, wondering if it were the same reason that I didn't want it to end as well, wondering if she would actually say the words this time instead of holding them back like she had before.

She bit her lip, rolling it between her teeth, and I was certain that she wouldn't answer my question. Annabeth was always good at dismissing topics she didn't want to discuss; I figured this was one of those topics. "Because tomorrow, everything goes back to the way it was. We had our arguments, and we're not getting along. These past two days won't matter," she closed her eyes tighter, running her tongue over her lips before pressing them together tightly. It appeared she didn't plan to say anything more than what she already divulged; it was pretty much classic Annabeth.

I shook my head even though she couldn't see it. I don't know why, but I had felt that I had needed to for some reason because I had known it was true. I had known that tomorrow we would have to face our problems and issues, and we had no idea what would happen after that. It would have been nice if we could at least have known. "They'll matter," I said, rolling my bottom jaw in thought. _They had to matter_. They couldn't just be two days that became forgotten. "We'll remember them, so they'll matter." They couldn't not matter. I wouldn't let them not matter.

Her chuckle was light, no real humor behind it but breathless sounds. "And if we forget them?"

"We won't," I answered quickly, turning my head back to the ceiling, sitting just as she was. These days couldn't be forgotten. They were too good, too close to perfect for that to happen. They were too close to perfectly _normal_ for me to forget them in the wake of all the change that was happening between us. All the change that neither of us seemed to be able to control as much as we desired to stop it or at least decide how it changed.

Our breathing filled the silence for a while, the normal in and out that reminded us of the fact that we were still alive, that we still had time to live. We still had more days together as long as we continued to breathe; it was a small assurance. "How long will you remember them?" Her words quietly cut through the almost silence, disrupting the rhythm that had once been made by our breaths.

I could feel the smile start to form on my lips, one that I knew Annabeth could see without even opening her eyes. "Always," I stated, listening to the way the word sounded in the air and our breathing, once again, became the only sound for a short while, "I'll always remember them."

**…**

**January 4****th**** ~ Day 12.**

**…**

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> **I hope you enjoyed good, old best friend percabeth. I love the word "always," ****especially from the Hunger Games and from Harry Potter.**

**Until next time,**

**~Jam  
>26 RAK<strong>

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><p><strong><em>Anonymous Replies<em>**

_OtakusRule – Thank you! I plan to finish this until the end._

_Guest – thankssss :D_

_Anonymous – yep, I took it down because I regretted and felt bad for not replying to reviews, especially not to the anonymous/guest ones. It truly is the same reason I had given in the author's note. Sorry 'bout that._

_Chelqi – Wow, thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Honestly, I sometimes I think I overdo it._

_Guest (keep writing) – Aw, I hope to!_

_Guest (day 7) – not much happened that day like "Percy" said, and I don't really like "filler chapters" at all._

_Guest (jan 2__nd__) – Woo, thanks for catching that for me._

_B – Hm, apparently. I mean… He does sort of suck at acting… Yes, yes, Percy needs to get some guts already. Aw, thanks, and I'm glad it wasn't too long._

_Me – I'm glad you love it. Wow, that means a lot to me. Hahahah, I don't break my promises ;) Hope it lived up to what you may have had in mind for percabeth moments._


	13. Day 13

**Only Thirty Days****  
>Summary: <strong>Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: **leprechaunlady, dollyluvsya101, Copper Phoenix, riml, Awesomel, Mitzipitzi, Artmis-gurl, awesome derp, CimFan, Percabethlvrknowsall (x11), St. Walker (x11), trangnha, Arrow of Artemis, Waterlover13  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I don't own PJO…

**A/N:** Well, there goes the fluff from the last chapter. Really, I looked back, and there sort of has been just sweetness or something like that for the past couple of chapters. Hm, there can be too much sweetness, right? No? Yes? You don't know? I don't know. Anyways, I guess I'll just leave it at that for this chapter.

**Also, I want to thank you Agent Astro Zombie, aka AAZ, for giving me an idea relating to this story; she had no idea just how much of a pivotal role it has played... ;)**  
><strong>Hope y'all enjoy. xx<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<br>****Day 13.**

Thirteen, the lucky number, right? _Eeeh,_ wrong, absolutely, positively, without a doubt, wrong.

"Hey, Nico," I muttered, slumping my tray down on the cafeteria table. Glancing across the cafeteria, I saw Annabeth, twirling the end of her blond hair that was pulled into a braid. By her side, unsurprisingly, sat Luke, probably saying whatever it was that put the smile on her face. No, I wasn't jealous. I just wished it was me sitting next to her.

Nico raised his eyebrows, shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth. "Are you going to spend this entire time staring at Annabeth or what?" He asked, while chewing on his mashed potatoes at the same time. Yeah, I probably shouldn't have decided to talk to Nico about this one considering how he felt about my situation with Annabeth.

I shrugged, glancing over at her again as she threw her head back laughing; she seemed to be getting along fine without me. It wasn't like we had any classes together or anything, considering the brain that Annabeth had, so it wasn't as if I really had any chance to talk to her during school in the first place. Plus, during the one period we had together besides lunch, free period, I had no idea where she even spent it, probably somewhere with Luke, though. "Probably," I eventually mumbled, breaking my gaze away from Annabeth to the food that slumped itself on my tray.

Grumbling something under his breath, Nico stuck the fork back into his mouth with another clump of mashed potatoes on it. "Can't you at least sit with her?" He practically pleaded, or that might have just been said that way because he still had the fork and mashed potatoes in his mouth. Yup, I was pretty certain Nico wasn't the person to talk to about this one…

I scratched the back of my head, sticking a straw into the milk that I had grabbed. "Nah," I muttered, rolling my jaw uncomfortably, "I'd rather not get my head bit off by Pinecone Face." Yeah, Thalia still wasn't my biggest fan by the way that she glared at me when I passed their table at the beginning of lunch. I had considered sitting with Annabeth but decided not to in the end. Plus, whenever Thalia noticed me looking in Annabeth's direction, she sent me a pointed glare; her glares were a prime example that looks really _could_ kill.

"Thalia still hates you?" Nico chuckled, pointing his fork towards me before piling more into his mouth. "Guess I'm not surprised by that one," he added, piling the rest of his mashed potatoes into his mouth, something that he finished at, what would have been, an alarming speed had it not been Nico who did it.

"Yeah, something like that…" I mumbled, glancing towards Annabeth who was no longer laughing or smiling. _Yeah, great to be back at school…_

**…**

I geared myself up to quit the play, thankful for the fact that the school day was over, having gone through the least amount of pain that I could possibly go through on a day like that… It was still a lot of pain, though. So yeah, gearing myself up to quit the play was easier said than done. It's not that I didn't want to quit or anything, but not having Annabeth there to remind me of _why_ I was quitting didn't help for a second.

Blond hair that fell in perfect curls onto her back standing feet away from me? Yeah, I must have been imagining Annabeth considering the fact that I wanted her there… Call it my overactive imagination or something, but it looked a heck of a lot like Annabeth who was standing in front of me, well several feet away. But, that had to be impossible… I meant, Annabeth had no real reason to be there anyways considering Rachel and Calypso were there.

"…can follow it," the image of Annabeth spoke to Chiron, blueprints in her hands. Wow, I must have really been missing Annabeth for the image of her to be so real.

Chiron nodded, his mouth moving, but he was too far away for me to say anything. Instead, I stood back and watched the imagined image of Annabeth in front of me as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. The image my mind created of her was almost as great as the real her; the only fault was the fact that it _wasn't_ her. I glanced to see that Chiron was pointing towards me for some odd reason. It then occurred to me that Chiron was actually, more than likely, _talking_ to a real person, and I just replaced them with Annabeth.

The image of Annabeth turned towards me, an eyebrow raised much like normal Annabeth would do. Whoever this image replaced walked towards me, but I couldn't help but notice just how spot on the grey eyes were that my mind had created in front of me. "I'd tell you to stop staring, but you look like you're daydreaming," the image of Annabeth spoke to me, playing with the end of her ponytail.

I shook my head, blinking, wondering why the image of Annabeth that my mind created was still in front of me.

She rolled her eyes, the image of Annabeth, addressing me, "Yeah, I think you were daydreaming."

"Wait, you're really here?" I questioned, noticing the way that Annabeth actually seemed like a real person, instead of the image that I had assumed she was. Okay, so looking back on it, I should have figured out that Annabeth was actually there way earlier, but I didn't… So, at least I actually told the story the way it happened.

She raised an eyebrow, placing her backpack onto one of the auditorium chairs. "Yeah, I am. Don't act so surprised," her voice was laced with sarcasm, yet I couldn't find a single sarcastic comment in what she said.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, watching her go into her backpack and pull out a binder and some other materials. Her body was hunched over the bag, making it obvious that she was not able to find whatever she was truly looking for in the first place.

Her eyes lifted towards me for a second before they focused back on the bag. "I'm doing the architecture and stuff, remember?"

"Wait…" I began, not entirely certain when Annabeth ever actually agreed to doing it. Sure, I said that she would never turn it down under normal circumstances, but I was certain that she never actually accepted taking on all the architectural stuff. "Since when were you doing it?"

She shrugged, not looking towards me as she pulled a kneaded eraser out of her backpack. "Today. I thought about what you said and decided to accept it." Her grey eyes met mine as she zipped her bag and took a few steps closer towards me. "What'd you decide?" The grey eyes penetrated mine, searching for some amount of truth to disclose.

I scratched the back of my head, glancing towards the people milling around on the stage. Sure, I knew what I decided, but I didn't know if it was the right thing for me to do… "I—"

"Percy," Chiron interrupted, bringing himself over towards Annabeth and me. His eyes seemed guarded as he peered at me with suspicion. "You should be on stage," he continued, stopping next to Annabeth and me, clasping a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded, looking towards Annabeth who merely looked back at me with a blank expression. She was making me do this one on my own. "I… I'm accepting your offer," I explained evasively, hoping that Chiron wouldn't make me spell it out for him. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, signaling that what I said wouldn't be enough. "I'm quitting the play."

He nodded, patting my shoulder roughly. "I knew you'd make the right decision, Percy." His lips curled into a knowing smile as his warm, brown eyes regarded me.

I made the right decision? Look, I can assure you that I didn't expect Chiron to accept it so… well. It was basically as if he knew I would do it. "Right decision?" I questioned, glancing towards Annabeth quick enough to see her roll her eyes before her expression became neutral once again.

"I think Annabeth here understands," Chiron smiled towards her before making his way back towards the stage where people had continued rehearsing their lines. I watched as Chiron pulled them altogether towards the front of the stage, and I was certain that he was delivering the news to them—the fact that I quit. Peeling my eyes away from the stage, I made sure not to make any eye contact with Rachel or Calypso, not wanting to see their reaction t to the news.

Instead, I met the knowing gaze of grey eyes, the owner of them hugging the binder to her chest. "So…?" I asked, wanting to know why I had made the right decision, or at least what Chiron considered to be the right decision.

She pursed her lips together before shifting her weight from foot to foot. "You quit. That's the right decision," her tone and explanation were short as she turned on her heels and headed towards the stage.

I couldn't help but think that she was mad with me for some reason. Maybe she didn't want me to quit? I couldn't be sure, but I was regretting making that decision after all. "Hey," I whispered loudly, picking up my pace to catch up with Annabeth, "are you mad or something?" I spoke again when I was next to her, having to match her brisk pace.

Her shoulders shrugged, not making eye contact with me. "I'm not mad," she stated simply, but her voice did nothing to match her explanation. Groaning, I kept in pace with her until she reached the stairs to the stage, putting my hand on her elbow to stop her. "What?" She snapped quickly, wrenching her elbow free of my grasp. "I'm not mad, alright?"

"I wouldn't have guessed," I muttered, earning a glare from Annabeth. "Look, what'd I do wrong?" I exasperated, lowering my voice so that the people on the stage couldn't listen in on our conversation.

She shook her head, pulling her binder closer against her. "It's nothing, alright?"

"We still have to talk," I stated, knowing well enough that after I left Annabeth's house yesterday, things would go back to being the way they had been, with us not getting along. That was the main reason for me not wanting to leave.

She bit her bottom lip, before running her tongue along it. I broke my gaze away from her lips, back to her eyes. "Percy, it can wait," she said strictly, taking the stairs to the stage one at a time.

I put my hand on her shoulder, stopping her from making it completely to the stage. She turned quickly, and I held my hands up in surrender. "We can't keep putting this off, alright? We got into the fight like six days ago, and you and I both know things haven't been the same since." She pursed her lips, tapping her foot lightly against the carpeted stairs. "How about I drive you home, and we can talk about it?" I offered, continuing before Annabeth had the chance to object. "I know Luke drove you in today, so you have no good reason to object, at all."

She raised her eyebrows, turning on heels before saying, "Don't be late."

**…**

I leaned against my car outside of the school's auditorium entrance, waiting for Annabeth to show up. I had seen multiple kids from the play exit and make their way to their cars, all without even acknowledging me. And the ones who did, their tones of voice made it clear that they weren't exactly happy with my quitting. Apparently, they didn't perceive my choice to be the right one like Chiron did. I wasn't even sure if Annabeth did, either.

"Hey," I turned towards the voice, a pair of green eyes and red hair accompanying it. I forgot how much I wanted to avoid her at the moment, after my semi-argument with Annabeth.

"Hi, Perce," another voice came from behind the first, this time warm brown eyes having been the match of the voice.

I sent them a grin, albeit it somewhat fake, and shifted my weight back to my feet and off my car. "Hey… Rachel, Calypso," I begrudgingly said, watching as they made their way closer to me.

They both sent me a small smile before coming to stand in front of me. I shivered slightly, not really from the cold, granted it was cold, but from the anticipation of whatever the two of them planned to say. "You quit," Calypso lamented, her milky brown eyes met mine with much sorrow.

I nodded, scratching the back of my head awkwardly. "I didn't want to ruin it for you," was my attempt at an explanation. It didn't appear to be a great one by the way she pressed her lips to one side and raised her eyebrows.

"You couldn't have ruined it for me, Percy," Calypso sighed, pushing a lock of chocolate hair from her face that had apparently annoyed her in the interim. I noted the way she used her fingers to smooth back the rest of her hair before turning my attention back towards her eyes.

I shrugged, not certain as to how she was missing the fact that I definitely could have ruined it. "I sucked at acting. Annabeth," Calypso's jaw tensed at the name, "was helping me before. And now that she isn't,…" Trailing off, I glanced towards the auditorium door, hoping to see Annabeth, yet I sadly didn't.

Calypso chuckled lightly, missing any amusement from the sound, "And, now she isn't, why? Why did she stop helping you?" I noticed the change in tone as the conversation took on a new direction. "Why wouldn't Annabeth help out her _best_ friend?" Her voice was innocent as well as something else as she cocked her head slightly to the side and rolled onto the outside of her feet.

"Um…" I began, not wanting to walk around telling the whole world about the fact that Annabeth and I were on ridiculously rocky ground, only getting rockier. "It's… It's… It's complicated."

She raised her thin eyebrows, stuffing her gloved hands into her pockets. "It seems like everything is complicated between you and Annabeth," she added earnestly, blowing out a breath that was white in the frigid air.

I shook my head, knowing that wasn't the truth, and no matter what situation I was in with Annabeth, I wouldn't let anyone paint a false picture of her. "It's normal for stuff to happen between friends. I mean, it's really my fault anyways," I added, remembering the things I had said in the big fight I had gotten into with Annabeth after Calypso left; the same happened New Year's Day when the words I chose weren't exactly… nice.

"You can't keep blaming yourself for everything that happens between you and Annabeth," Calypso said softly, rolling her bottom lip under her teeth. "She's not perfect, Perce."

Obviously, Annabeth wasn't perfect. No one was perfect, not to be close to quoting a Hannah Montana song, but I also knew that Annabeth was the closest thing to the perfect human being. "She's pretty damn close to it," I stated, rubbing my hand along my jaw before stuffing it in my pocket to protect it from the cold.

Calypso's expression became sorrowful, her eyes gazing at me with pity. "How do you expect to be friends with her when you think that she's perfect?" Her eyes searched my face before she glanced away from my cold expression.

"I have no problem being friends with Annabeth. Every friendship had issues," I deadpanned, clenching my jaw at the allegations that Calypso appeared to be making. There was truly no issue between Annabeth and me besides ones that best friends tended to have. Plus, Annabeth was pretty damn near close to perfect.

Rachel cleared her throat, forcing Calypso and me to shift our eyes towards her. "I'm going to go warm up the car, so that it's ready when it's time to leave." She sent Calypso a look that I couldn't decipher before crunching her way across the parking lot towards, I was assuming, her car.

Red lights illuminated Calypso's saddened expression before she shivered noticeably. I sighed, realizing that she must have been freezing in the thin jacket. "Here," I pulled my jacket off, offering it to her at which she shook her head, "you're freezing. I'll be fine."

"No, I'm good," she protested, shivering again before a small, knowing smile filled her mouth. "You'll just be cold if I were to take your jacket." Her eyes still glanced longingly at the jacket, and I knew she was raging an internal battle over whether or not to take the jacket.

"Just take the jacket, Calypso," I chuckled, dropping it into her hands the second they touched it. I figured I wouldn't give her time to change her mind.

She sent me a weak smile before mumbling, "Thanks." I nodded, watching as she slipped her arms into my jacket carefully and held it closed. "Look, I didn't mean anything bad about Annabeth…" She began, her voice honest as her eyes met mine.

I nodded, pushing my lips together. If I knew one thing about Calypso, I knew she was extremely honest about quite a few things. This time, she was certainly being honest. "I just figured since you guys didn't get along…" She walked towards me, leaning against my car sideways.

"You act like I hate the girl," Calypso laughed under her breath, puffs of white air coming out of her mouth. _Well, I mean, all signs seemed to point to yes…_ She must have noticed my expression as she continued, "I don't hate her, Percy. I really don't even know her that well, but I do know that you would do anything for her. I just… I don't think she deserves that…"

I raised my eyebrows, searching Calypso's face for some hidden meaning as to why she said that. I couldn't find one. "Well… She's my best friend. She would do anything for me, too," I added uncertainly, breaking my gaze away from Calypso for that very reason. Still, I knew she caught the uncertainty.

"Percy," she said lightly, causing me to bring my gaze back towards her, "do you love her?"

"Of course," I answered quickly, shrugging a shoulder. Annabeth was my best friend, so it was pretty obvious that I loved her.

Calypso shook her head, taking a step closer to me as she peered up into my eyes. "Percy…" she opened her mouth, nothing coming out for a few seconds, "…I meant, as more than a best friend? Do you love Annabeth, romantically?"

I chuckled for no apparent reason, trying to play off what Calypso asked. She looked at me expectantly. "Well, I mean," I scratched the back of my head, uncomfortably, "no, I don't. How could I possibly love her? It's… We're not… You know, we're friends. You know, yeah, we're friends. So… I mean, no… No, I don't… I don't love her." I sputtered off, shaking my head in disbelief at what Calypso asked.

She shrugged as though not convinced, tucking a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "Are you sure?"

"Well, yeah," I answered, tossing my palms up to show that I wasn't hiding or bluffing. I think I'd know if I were in love with Annabeth or something…

Her eyebrows rose as she nodded lightly, as if processing the information. There was half a minute of silence as I took in her expression and the way her brown eyes looked saddened in understanding. "I'm sad that you decided to quit," Calypso said ultimately, changing the subject.

I was thankful for the subject change. "Hey, now, don't be sad about it," I grinned, not liking the way Calypso looked when she was saddened. Sure, she was still ridiculously pretty, but happy definitely was better on her just like it would have been for anyone else.

She smiled while shaking her head; still, her eyes seemed downcast. "I think you would have been great," Calypso complimented lightly, slanting her head to the side.

"Nah, I think you got that wrong," I laughed, knowing well enough that I sucked at Shakespeare and the play as a whole. "You can't argue that one."

She merely shrugged, affirming what I said. "Will you at least still visit?"

I scratched the back of my neck, glancing downwards to meet her expectant eyes. "I don't know… I mean, I have swim practice every day of the week now that break is over, after school, not just in the morning. So…"

A slight frown found a way to her lips as she nodded in understanding. "It has just seemed like…" Her voice trailed off as she dropped her gaze from mine.

"Just seemed like what?" I bent my knees to be level with her face, making her meet my gaze. The second it did, I noticed that sadness swirled in her brown eyes as I felt her warm breath hit my face.

A wisp of a smile covered her features, a cheerless one albeit. "It seemed like we were starting to be friends or _something_ again. I guess I just sort of liked it… I missed it," she added honestly, meeting my gaze again to search my green eyes.

I smiled slightly at just how different Calypso could be from Annabeth. She had no problem expressing how she felt, and she definitely didn't snap at me for wanting to know more, not that I had a problem with Annabeth doing that really. Sure, it was one of the things that annoyed me, but I mean, hey, it was also one of the things that made Annabeth, well, Annabeth. "Those were the times, weren't they?" I asked, bringing myself back to the conversation and warm eyes that continued to search my face. "You know, I missed it too," I amended with honesty, knowing that there was no reason not to be honest around Calypso.

"I did too," she breathed, leaving me with nothing to really say. She had already said that, anyways.

Leaving a silence between us, the two of us met each other's gazes as Calypso's eyes searched mine. I noted the fact that her skin was still slightly tanned as it always seemed to be. For some reason, she and Annabeth could be on the beach for a day and retain the tan for months. Yet, that may have been where the similarities ended as I took in the rest of Calypso's soft features before I met her gaze again. For a second, her gaze dropped lower on my face, before it met my eyes again. And before I even knew what was happening, the last thing I saw were her warm, inviting brown eyes before her lips met mine, and my lips met hers.

I can tell you right now that I still don't know who initiated that kiss. It might have been me. It might have been Calypso. It might have been mutual. I had no idea who it was as my lips brushed against hers for the first time. It was different than any kiss I had with Annabeth before, something unknown and mysterious seeming to fill the warmth that radiated from her lips. There wasn't that tumbling stomach feeling that I felt before, but instead it was a lightness filling my body, not something like my brain turning to mush. Sure, it was warm, soft, and I guess nice, but it wasn't something that made my brain melt and left me incoherent. It was nice though, in the idea that you had found something new, because I had never kissed another girl besides Annabeth until that moment, but it was different. It was definitely different.

"Calypso," I muttered against her warm lips before pulling away and resting my head on her forehead, "I can't do this. It's—"

"Annabeth," she added solemnly, a sad smile covering her features once again. I did my best to not glance at her lips, not wanting to feel any guilt for possibly being the one who initiated the kiss in the first place.

"No, that's not what I was going to say," I mumbled barely above a whisper, not even certain if Calypso could hear me. By the way she raised her eyebrows, I was certain she had. "It's really not her… It's just that…" And to be honest, I didn't know what it was that made me not want to kiss Calypso. I probably should have wanted to, knowing the kind of person she was, how nice she was. Numerous guys fell for Calypso, and here I was rejecting her when she finally fell for a guy, the wrong guy.

"I understand," she inserted, relieving me from having to explain something that I couldn't seem to grasp my mind around, "you don't like me like that." Her voice was a whisper as she stood up straight and slipped my jacket from off her shoulders. "Just forget about that, okay? Let's just go back to being friends," she uttered softly, taking a few steps away as she plastered a smile on her face, probably for my benefit, and handed me my jacket. "I'll see you around, Percy," the corner of her lips twitched slightly upwards

I watched silently as she turned her back to me and walked in the same direction as Rachel had. _What was I thinking kissing her?_ Maybe I was just curious as to what it was like to kiss someone else besides Annabeth. Maybe I was just going through the motions, and it was truly Calypso who initiated the kiss. Maybe… There were too many "maybe"'s swirling around my head as I remembered the way her warm lips were pressed against mine and moving in synch.

"I see you're not keeping your life on hold anymore," Annabeth stated simply, walking towards the passenger door. I jumped at the sound of her voice, realizing that she must have been watching since, at least, the kiss, before I met her grey eyes from across my car. Her expression was guarded as well as her grey eyes took on a muted shade, one that I wasn't accustomed to in Annabeth's eyes.

I scratched the back of my head, clicking the unlock button on my set of keys. Annabeth quickly got into the car as I followed suit, sighing. _This was not going as I expected._ "Annabeth," I began, closing the driver's side door after me as she concentrated much too hard on buckling her seatbelt, "it's—"

"There's nothing you need to explain," she cut me off, glancing towards me quickly with a misplaced smile on her face. "You're just living your life, Percy, and I told you that you shouldn't drop everything for me, just because I don't like… _Calypso._" Her face became taut as she said Calypso's name before widening the obviously fake grin.

I cleared my throat, putting my keys into the ignition and starting her up. "So, you're not mad?" I asked, testing the waters as I backed out of the parking lot.

Her gaze met mine quickly, an expression covering her face that I couldn't seem to place before it was quickly washed away with neutrality. "Percy, it's like what you said on New Year's Day. We're best friends, and we're just that." She pressed her lips into a straight line as she nodded stiffly.

Focusing my attention back onto the road, I did my best not to be hurt by the fact that Annabeth seemed to be accepting that I kissed someone besides her with flying colors. I mean, she had to care, right? Sure, she never explicitly said that she liked me or anything, and sure, she would normally move on to her next boyfriend shortly after seeming to like me… But, I just thought… "So, you're okay with it?"

She raised an eyebrow, directing her gaze out the front window. "Yes, Percy, I am okay with it," her voice taut as she flashed yet _another_ smile in my direction before focusing back out the window.

"Calypso and I are just friends," I explained, not wanting Annabeth to falsely believe that anything was happening between the two of us. "I swear. We agreed to forget about the kiss…" Trailing off, I glanced over to see that Annabeth's expression had yet to change from the one of neutrality she had used to cover up some other expression. "We need to talk about those fights though," I added seriously, feeling that I had done enough to dispel Annabeth's possible beliefs that something was going on between Calypso and me.

"What about them?" Her voice was hoarse as she fiddled with the knob for the heat, ultimately deciding to turn it up slightly. She then clasped her hands back in her lap tightly, her fingers turning white.

Well, to be honest, I wasn't sure what because it was normally Annabeth who brought up any kind of discussion or something. This time, she seemed to be the one who wanted to do whatever it took to avoid that discussion, something that I normally did, and I certainly had no idea how to deal with the reversal in roles. "Um, well, there was today…" I began shakily, wishing that Annabeth would just take control or something, "What happened?"

She didn't answer right away, letting silence be the immediate answer to my question. "What are you talking about?" She finally asked when she broke the silence, not looking towards me but still out at the road.

I scratched the back of my head quickly before placing that hand back on the wheel. "You seemed mad…"

Annabeth shrugged, shifting slightly in her seat. "You quit the play, and I needed to get to work. You grabbed me to stop me from getting to work on the architecture which you were so insistent on having me do. It annoyed me," she stated the facts with no infliction in her voice. "The play is coming up quickly. Therefore, I really needed to get started."

"Oh, yeah, of course," I mumbled, wondering how she could make things sound so obvious when they certainly weren't to me before. "Look…about the stuff I said before…"

"Which stuff?" she asked uncharacteristically calm, yet when her grey eyes met mine, the neutrality was gone. "The part where you lied to me about Calypso, saying nothing was going on between you two?" The snap in her voice became evident as she spit out the words.

"Annabeth…" I began, grasping at straws to attempt to water down what was about to become yet another argument.

"I saw you kissing," she stated simply, cutting me off from any explanation that I could possibly give.

I shook my head, clenching my jaw. "It meant nothing," and it truly did. That was the plain and simple truth.

She raised an eyebrow, facing me for the first time since we had gotten into the car. "Really? Since when do kisses mean nothing? I'm pretty sure they mean _something_ when you kiss the other person back." Annabeth snapped, tilting her head to the side quickly with a sardonic smile on her face.

"Yeah, really?" I retorted, holding onto the steering wheel tightly as I forced myself to pay attention to the road, not wanting to get us into a car accident. Nevertheless, I was taking out my annoyance on the wheel.

Without even looking, I could tell that she had rolled her eyes. "Yes, _Percy_, kisses _don't_ actually mean nothing, especially not when you kiss the person back." She pressed onward, changing the way in which she tightly grasped her hands.

"Oh, really? Are you sure about that?" I question, feeling my voice raise slightly as each time Annabeth dumped being my best friend for her next boyfriend filled my head. "Then every damn time you kissed me but got a boyfriend not even a month later meant _something_? Because I sure as hell don't think it meant _anything_ to you," I spat, hating the taste of the words in my mouth and thankful to get them out.

She shot me a look, which I assumed, since I wasn't looking at her, to be dirty, before twisting back in her seat to sit forward. "You're an idiot."

"You never forget to tell me," I sarcastically grinned into the rearview mirror as she pursed her lips tightly. "Thanks for that. I had almost forgotten since the last time you told me seven days ago. Hah, but thanks really for reminding me. I _am_ an idiot, so of course I would forget that."

Annabeth shook her head, crossing her arms tightly. "This is exactly why I didn't want to discuss the fights," she muttered, glaring out the window at whatever trees passed by us. If looks could kill, those trees certainly would have fallen dead right then and there.

"Oh, yes, of course because _you're_ always right," I countered, sending daggers in her direction along with that _compliment._ "Tell me, how the hell were we supposed to go on acting like nothing was wrong between us?"

"I don't know everything!" She snapped, raising her voice to a level higher than mine before lowering it again, steady with anger. "Everyone gets into fights, so there's no point in making a big deal over ours."

"Really?" I questioned, chuckling with no humor afterwards. "I forgot that people tell someone that their best friend is just using them or that they're using their best friend. Totally and completely normal, right? Happens to _everyone_ now doesn't it?" I chuckled again before clenching my jaw tightly.

"So then _do_ something about it, Percy. If you really believe that, then why the hell are we best friends?" Annabeth prodded angrily, turning her stormy grey eyes towards me with intensity. I paused, seeing her tense expression as she pushed me even harder. "If there's seriously something so _wrong_ with our friendship like you make it out to be; if there's seriously something so wrong with _my_ side of the friendship, then why are you still friends with me?"

"It's obvious," I grunted, speeding at a yellow light to go through it, not in the mood to stop. "You're dumb if you don't know the answer."

Her eyes flared at my last comment as she said icily. "Well, Percy, since I don't know the answer, what does that make me?"

I paused for a second, not even thinking in that time frame as I stated simply with a smug smirk on my face, "Dumb. It makes you dumb." And that, that was probably the worst thing that I could have said at a time like that.

"You're a _jerk_," she stated, highlighting the last word carefully as she focused out the window, tension still high throughout her body.

"Hah, funny, isn't it?" I bitterly asked, indignant that she really thought I was the _jerk_ in the situation. "Aren't you the one who forgets we're best friends after you use me after every single break up but get a new boyfriend? Last I checked, that was you, not me."

"You know I hate being called dumb," Annabeth ignored the latter part of what I said, only addressing the first aspect.

I rolled my eyes. "Annabeth you're so damn hypocritical."

"You don't even know what the word means," she stated evenly, raising her eyebrows slightly in obvious annoyance but more than anything anger. The normal tease in her voice was completely gone.

"It means you say something is bad and do the exact same thing!" I shouted, no longer caring how loud my voice was. We were in the car, anyways, so it didn't matter. "You hate when someone doesn't give a shit about other people, but you know what? You haven't acted any better than your dad and stepmom when it came to them giving a shit about you before. You're the same damn way about me. You use me for your convenience, and when that's done, it's as if I don't even exist."

"You don't even _try_," she said shrilly, her voice uneven with anger yet it didn't reach the loudness that mine did.

I shook my head, glancing away from the road towards her quickly. "I try every, single time. It's you who doesn't try."

She laughed bitterly, grinding her teeth together. "I don't _try_? What am I supposed to do, Percy? Put my entire life on hold and still be a middle schooler?"

"No," I gritted out. _Yes_ was what I wanted to say that very moment, but that would have just been a ridiculous suggestion. "You're supposed to be that same girl, not this one who isn't even my best friend. I don't even _know _you anymore, Annabeth, and I'm supposed to be your best friend. I'm supposed to have known you since you were a little kid!" I shook my head, echoing the bitter laugh that Annabeth used earlier, feeling water fill my eyes from anger…and well, sadness. "But you know what, I have no idea who the hell you are anymore."

"Don't act like I don't even care or _try_ anymore. It's _you_ who never tries when things aren't the way they were when we were thirteen. I'm not going to just wait around for the rest of my life, Percy. I _can't_ just wait around," she enunciated, using her hands to make gestures.

I rolled my eyes at her ridiculous comments, "Hypocrite."

"I'm not a hypocrite, Percy," she announced, more and more anger lacing each word that came out of her mouth.

"Except you are!" I retorted, banging against the steering wheel in anger as we stopped at a red light. "You can't wait around for the rest of your life, but you have no problem at all with me doing that and just putting my life on pause so that you can use me until you get a new boyfriend."

"It's not even like that!" Annabeth yelled, meeting my glare as we stared before the red light turned green. I held it for a second longer before focusing on the road.

She didn't even _get_ it, and that was the problem. She never seemed to get it.

"You're no better than your fucking drunk for a dad," and that, right there, was when I said the one thing that shut her up and the one thing that was absolutely wrong. Maybe I should have apologized, but I didn't, forcing all of my attention onto the darkening road in front of us. I knew it hit her hard as Annabeth gave no comeback and merely kept her attention out the passenger side window, not even seeming to have moved since the comment I made. I knew it was wrong. I knew I shouldn't have said something like that to my best friend, but I couldn't stop the angry words from tumbling out of my mouth. Still, I regretted it the second I did. "What happened?" I asked softly, trying to keep my voice level as my anger seemed drained out of me. "What happened between today and yesterday? We said we _wouldn't_ forget those past two days," yet I was certain that we had.

She was silent, not answering me as we continued down the road. There was nothing besides the whirling of the engine and humming of the heater to fill the car with noise. It was a thick silence that engulfed the area around us. Her body remained turned towards the window, and no movement seemed to come from her.

"Do you remember what you said to me yesterday, before you fell asleep?" Annabeth asked me softly, something completely different from the anger that had filled her voice before. Her voice barely broke the silence before she finished her question and stopped talking.

I shook my head, glancing towards her quickly, not having met her grey eyes but the back of her head instead. "No, I don't. Why?" At that point, she turned slightly towards me, enough for me to make out the majority of her face from the rearview mirror.

Her mouth opened for a second before it closed, and she barely shook her head. "Percy—" she halted and pursed her lips, her eyes downcast, "There's… There's nothing we need to discuss anymore. It's obvious that you meant what you said and that—There's just … nothing we need to discuss."

"Annabeth—"

"_Please_," her voice was broken as it cracked on the word, and I was certain that tears began to fall as she glanced away from me and towards the window.

It was my fault. I had said the one thing that I _knew_ would destroy her, and yet I did it with quick resolve.

Since I had broken her to that point, there was nothing more that I could do than to simply say, "Okay," and to leave it at that.

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><p><strong>AN: SO, that "idea" from AAZ that I mentioned before was to have Calypso cause some amount of trouble, which Calypso did here. Really, it's not all AAZ's fault at all; she just said she thought that Calypso might cause trouble or be a problem due to previous actions and whatnot. WELP, that truly made me consider, and well, I guess we all know how it from here. (I probably would have come to the decision eventually… maybe.)<strong>

**Well, what did y'all think? I sort of, kind of love angst… Love to know your takes on it; I always welcome suggestions as well.**

**Until next time, **

**~Jam.  
>26 RAK<strong>

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><p><em>Anonymous Review Replies<em>

_Awesomederp – can we just address the fact that I am soo jealous of the fact that you have watched Perks? And well, nope I really didn't have them in mind when writing this. I honestly never got around to reading Perks until, like, oh wow, maybe October? November? It's been on my list for over a year. That does make me consider some things in terms of character relations, so thank you!_


	14. Day 14

**Only Thirty Days****  
>Summary: <strong>Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: ** Awesomel, Percabethlvrknowsall, Tajee165, FireAngel7, AtlantaJackson95, PercyJackson is SeaweedBrain, Mitzipitzi, Agent Astro Zombie, Wisest Owl, Stephenlongboard, St. Walker, PPP4eva, Arrow Artemis, CimFan, Anonymous, ChildOfWisdom, MaydayParade8123 (x2), percabethico, guest, guest, guest, guest, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPercabeth, Em, B, XxPerliaxFabinaxX, Guest,  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I don't own PJO… I also don't write oranges.

**A/N:**First off, I'm sorry that I made some of you guys cry. :/ Second, this is a pretty good update time for me, I do believe. Anyways, sometimes things have to reach their climax and fizzle out before they can go back to normal and tranquil. Le shrug, who likes soda? ;D

Hope y'all enjoy.  
><strong>xx<strong>

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 14<span>**

**Day 14.**

I didn't know what to expect as I trudged my way into school, earlier than normal because I hadn't been able to fall back asleep at the sound of my alarm clock. Instead, thoughts tumbled through my head about Calypso, Annabeth, and the great mistake that I had made. Somehow, I completely lead Calypso on, and I lost Annabeth once again in a matter of seconds; it was starting to look like a talent that I had for screwing things up. Trust me, it's not a talent you want to have. In fact, I would probably trade in my hidden talent for some other worthless talent like being able to peel a banana with your toes or something like that. Yeah, that talent was definitely better than the one that had been handed down to me by my parents and genes. I would have to remember to thank my mom and dad for that one later on…

I knew from the second that I saw golden hair in ringlets that my subconscious had brought me to her locker, whether or not I truly wanted to be there. Sure, I _might_ have practiced how to apologize to her over and over again about what I said, but it didn't mean I ever planned it out or anything. No, planning things out was Annabeth's thing, not mine.

Somehow, I found my feet bringing me next to her open locker as she dug into it, looking for who knew what. I cleared my throat, earning not a single reaction from Annabeth. "Hey," I tried, leaning slightly against the locker next to her.

She made no attempt to acknowledge me as her stormy eyes stayed glued into her locker. Annabeth was always good at ignoring people.

"Um, what's up?" I asked, watching as her jaw tensed, and she pulled a thick binder from out of her locker, replacing it with her backpack.

Still, no reply.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair in annoyance. "Look, I just thought that maybe we should talk or something."

At that point, I was pretty certain that Annabeth rolled her eyes as she grabbed her grey pencil pouch and slammed her locker door. I expected her to turn to me or say something, but instead, she turned on her heels, leaving me with the reverberating sound of her locker door. Picking up my pace, I swerved between people to make my way behind her, mumbling a couple of apologies to freshmen that I hit. "Annabeth, we need to talk."

She stopped abruptly, turning towards with a dangerous glint in her eyes. I took a few steps back, not expecting to actually get a reaction from her. "Percy," she began curtly, holding her binders tightly to her chest, "there's nothing that we need to discuss. We said it all yesterday."

"Annabet—"

"I need to get to class, alright?" She interrupted me before turning again and walking in the direction that she had before. _She's definitely still not over it_.

Not missing a beat, I followed after her, not caring whether or not I would end up being late to class. I needed to talk to her before something else could get in the way of things and make things worse. "Yeah, well, we need to talk," I exclaimed through gritted teeth, dodging another set of freshmen who was walking on the wrong side of the hall.

"School is more important," she stated shortly, picking up her pace and seeming to _purposefully_ swerve between people so that I had to bump into them.

I shook my head, jogging a couple of steps to fall in line next to her. "Yeah, well, I think years of friendship are more important than one stupid class," I pointed out, swerved, and stopped in front of her to halt her from continuing forward. She attempted to dodge around me, but I saw it coming and merely stood in her way. "We need to talk," I reiterated, watching as she huffed and pulled her binders closer to her chest.

Her blonde eyebrows rose in annoyance, following suit with her tone, "And, I _need_ to get to class. Apparently, this isn't going to work out for either of us, now is it?"

Grabbing her elbow, I pulled us out of the middle of the hall to against the wall, tired of the number of people bumping into me. "It would be a lot easier if you just talked to me," I reasoned, hoping to break down Annabeth's resolve. "Because right now, we're getting nowhere." It seemed that we were making absolutely no headway, and no change in that appeared imminent.

Her retort was quick, "We could be getting _somewhere_ a lot faster if you just let me leave." Oh yes, because _everything_ seemed to be my fault nowadays… Okay, well it sort of was…

Of course, I couldn't just tell her that. "Maybe if you didn't ignore me we could be on our ways already," I muttered, frustrated that she couldn't just let us talk or something.

She rolled her eyes quickly, her expression fixed in annoyance. "I think what we said yesterday was enough. Plus, I hear drunks aren't great listeners, so, since I am _exactly_ like my dad, I obviously am deficient in the listening category," Annabeth replied with a sardonic smile, dropping it off her face as quickly as it appeared.

I dropped my eyes away from hers, knowing that I had made a huge mistake saying that out of my anger yesterday. "Annabeth, I'm sorry…" I tried earnestly, meeting her grey eyes that seemed just as fierce with anger and annoyance as before.

Her expression transformed into something that I couldn't place before it became stone set, and her head shook with reluctance. "Save it, Percy," her voice came out cold as the warning bell rang behind us. "I need to get to class," were the last words she said before she passed me and entered into the rush of people in the hallway.

Instead of following her, I let her go this time, knowing that it was my fault that we were in this situation in the first place. I had made the mistake, and now, I was the one paying for it.

**…**

"We need to talk," I glanced up to see Rachel sit across from me as I sat alone at my lunch table. Nico, for some reason which I could probably guess, hadn't shown up for lunch, leaving me basically alone at the table. Well, that was before Rachel showed up.

I raised an eyebrow, not expecting any company besides a somewhat gloomy Nico. "Shouldn't you be in class or something?" I questioned, looking around to see some lunch aide kick her out for skipping.

She rolled her eyes, pulling out a sketchbook and flipping to some random drawing that I assumed she was working on, "No, I have free period. I just normally spend it in the drama club or art room. I figured I would make an exception."

"Lucky me," I muttered, taking a quick look at the picture Rachel was drawing, only to see a few fruits arranged on what appeared to be a table. _ That_ was why drawing always sounded boring to me, not to mention my complete lack of talent in that area.

"It's a still life," Rachel explained, probably having seen my expression, "in charcoal. I'm doing it as a portfolio piece, but I'm not here to talk about my art." I met her stern green-eyed gaze, figuring that Rachel would only do something unless she had a reason. "Would you care to explain why Calypso has been ridiculously depressed as of late?"

_Great, another thing I messed up. _"That's news to me," I remarked honestly, toying with the food on my tray. At that moment, I was wishing Nico were there being gloomy or pessimistic or _something, anything_.

She narrowed her eyes, and I held my hands up in surrender. "Calypso won't mention what happened after I left you guys talking. Now, she's my best friend, so I figured you would tell me." I chuckled, not knowing why Rachel expected me to tell her anything. Look, Calypso could have been upset for some other reason for all I knew. It didn't necessarily have to have anything to do with the kiss… "Percy, it's not funny!" Rachel reprimanded, angrily running what looked like black chalk against her sketchbook. I hoped she drew well when she was angry and not even paying attention to what she was doing…

"I don't know what happened with Calypso," I stated because, well, I had no idea if it was actually due to the kiss or something else. I liked to think that it was something else.

Rachel raised an eyebrow, seeming not at all convinced. "So, you're saying that Calypso is just sad now for no reason?"

I rolled my eyes, figuring I picked that up from Annabeth somewhere along the way. _Annabeth…_ "I never said that, Rachel," my voice probably sounded stern, but I didn't care to have this situation flipped to make it my fault. I already had enough on my plate as it was.

She nodded curtly, but her face remained tense. "Then why is she upset?" _As if her asking again would make my answer change or anything._ Nice try, though. A for effort or something like that. Gold star, Rachel.

"Look, you'll have to ask Calypso about it. She's _your_ best friend, not mine," I shrugged, tossing a piece of food into my mouth as Rachel focused her attention onto the sketchbook in front of her.

Having been given a couple of seconds, I guilty glanced over towards Annabeth who was eating her food with a blank expression. It wasn't entirely blank but something more like withdrawn. Unlike normal, she didn't laugh at something that someone said nor engage in a conversation that seemed to have the attention of her whole entity. But instead, Annabeth remained completely stern and almost paralyzingly still as food entered her mouth, seeming to not even register the taste of it. Honestly, I felt bad that I was the cause of it, and I would have done almost _anything_ to fix it, to change it. For a second, I could have sworn her grey eyes met mine and flitted away, but I couldn't be certain as I turned my attention back to Rachel who was looking at me intensely. "What?" I asked, squirming under her knowing gaze.

Rachel raised an eyebrow, lowering it quickly. "Something happened between Annabeth and you as well." I merely shrugged, not feeling the need to lie to go against it. "Does it have to do with Calypso?"

I shook my head, not to negate what she said but frustrated that she only seemed to care about Calypso. "Rachel, did you ever think that I was having a shitty day or something? No, of course not, because you're only worried about Calypso so it doesn't matter what I'm going through. Maybe, if you actually seemed to give a crap, Calypso would tell you what was bugging her, but no, you just want to know the one thing that you want and don't give a shit. That's what great friends are for, right?" I irrationally, lashed out at her, sticking my fork forcefully into the almost empty tray. It wasn't her that I frustrated with but me.

Her green eyes widened slightly before they became guarded. "Maybe you should have considered that before you kissed Calypso back," Rachel threw back before grabbing her sketchbook and noisily pushing her chair away. I could already feel the gazes upon me as more and more people became aware of the fact that I had kissed Calypso.

"You make it sound simpler than it was," I stated in a hushed tone, hoping to detract the attention that we were getting. It was one thing for a couple people to know about what happened with Calypso and another for the whole school.

""Really, Percy?" Rachel's annoyed expression was pointed in my direction, "You kiss her even though you _know_ you didn't like her like that? I think it was pretty simple." I opened my mouth to interject, but she just kept on going, "You know, Percy, you're not much better than Annabeth at this rate. I figured you wouldn't want to use someone after you had been used yourself. In fact, I actually pitied you for that, but I guess I don't anymore, now that you do it." She paused, her green eyes flaring dangerously. "Maybe you did it the entire time with Calypso in the first place." I had a sinking feeling that she was dead on about that one as Rachel haphazardly grabbed her sketchbook and art supplies.

"I don't want your pity," I called weakly after her as she stomped out of the cafeteria to who knew where. Looking around, I noticed the hushed level of the cafeteria as many people still choose to look at me. "Party's over," I said loudly, sending glares to a few underclassmen that still opted to watch me.

Moving my eyes to the table that I dreaded, I met the pensive grey eyes of a specific blonde haired girl, neither of us breaking gazes. I could feel the frustration still washing over my eyes as she looked at me in thought, not breaking away until she replied to someone's conversation. Still, I opted to watch her even though her eyes didn't meet mine again for the rest of the lunch. I only hoped she didn't blame me like I blamed myself.

I only hoped she missed me like I missed her too.

**…**

I'm not sure how I wound up spending my free period in the same room with Calypso, but it definitely wasn't a part of my plan. In fact, I had never stepped foot in the all-purpose room except for the fact that I was hoping to find Annabeth there. Since I crossed off the library, it seemed likely that she would be here.

She wasn't. Calypso was.

Sure, I considered turning around and acting like I never noticed Calypso, but that would be hard to do since I blatantly made eye contact with the girl. So, I either had to walk out of there like I forgot something—remember, I suck at acting—or I had to stay there, where Calypso was, since she was walking directly towards me.

Dropping my head, I scribbled my name and time on the sign-in sheet, dreading to look up and see Calypso. Since I couldn't stay looking down the whole time, I forced myself to glance up, meeting her neutral brown eyes. _Good, she doesn't hate me too._ "Uh, hi," I forced out, scratching the back of my head awkwardly.

She smiled slightly, beckoning for me to follow her towards her table. Thankfully, no one else was sitting with her. "You don't normally show up here during this period," she said politely, slowing down a step to walk in line with me.

I merely shrugged, making sure that my hand didn't brush across hers. "I was looking for someone," I explained as she glanced towards me with a preoccupied look.

"Hm," Calypso began, sitting down at her table with a few books almost stacked in perfect order, "I'm guessing that someone was Annabeth."

Nodding, I took my seat next to her, wondering why I couldn't seem to have a conversation today that _didn't_ end or begin with the mentioning of Annabeth. "Good guess," I chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood that seemed to be in need of _great_ lightening.

She raised her eyebrows quickly, turning slightly on her seat to face me. "You know," Calypso paused, seeming to search my face for something, "you say things aren't about Annabeth, and yet everything you do seems to be about her."

"We're best friends," I defended quickly, wondering if I maybe should have changed that to _we were_. Because right then and there, that relationship seemed to be on the rocks… again, and it was all due to the stupid thing I said in anger.

A small smile formed on her lips, one seeming to be filled with self-pity. "Percy, any girl should be grateful to have a best friend like you. _I_ would be grateful to have a best friend like you because you care so much about Annabeth and seem to drop everything for her, but…" Her brown eyes met my green with sympathy, and I waited for her to finish what she was saying.

It was another moment like yesterday where neither of us seemed to talk, simply searching each other's face. I couldn't have another moment like yesterday, though, where somehow, someway, our lips met because that… I just couldn't. It wouldn't be fair. "But what?" I broke eye contact with her, fiddling with the placement of my chair in relation to the table so as to break whatever 'moment' seemed to be occurring.

"But if that were Annabeth, you would have kissed her without question," she said softly, her hand roughly patting my knee before she turned to open some binder that was sitting in front of her.

"I don't know what I would have done," I groaned, tired of people expecting to me know what I would have done or should have done. Sometimes, things just happened, and, sure I regretted a lot of them; there was still nothing that I could do. I couldn't go back in time and make everything perfect like Calypso, or anyone else, may have wanted.

"Percy," she said just as softly as before, causing me to glance up and meet her brown eyes, "whether or not you want to admit it, you care about Annabeth more—"

"I've known her for over ten years," I cut her off swiftly, not caring to hear about how I must have loved Annabeth or anything to that effect. If I wanted my feelings to be dissected, I could have gone to a therapist. "If you had known someone for that long, I think you'd care about them just as much as I cared about her."

Calypso blew out a breath, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've known you for eleven," she stated, turning her attention back to the book in front of her. "I actually need to study," her voice rang out without her even glancing towards me, "so I can't really talk right now."

People needed to realize that turning to school work was a dumb way to end a conversation, Calypso included. "Calypso, Annabeth and I are best friends. There's a—"

"Yes and we _dated_, Percy," she stressed, whispering at a louder volume as she slammed her book closed. I winced slightly, not used to seeing her mad, ever.

"Nothing happened," I quickly explained, trying to calm her down… or well, something to that effect. Sure, we dated, but it didn't entail something occurring between the two of us because, quite simply, nothing happened between Calypso and me.

She shook her head, an indignant look upon her face. "Not because I didn't want that but because you didn't do anything."

"You could have kissed me," I said weakly, realizing how it seemed that girls were just plain better when it came to these sorts of things than I was. No strike that, guys in general probably just suck when it comes to arguing feelings like this with a girl—it's only because girls are so damn convoluted when it comes to their feelings.

She rolled her brown eyes, scooting her chair closer to mine as she dropped the pencil in her hand. "Yes and I could have made a fool out of myself just like I did yesterday," her whisper was nothing nice, something fiercer and filled with anger.

_Make a fool out of herself?_ "What are you saying?" I asked cautiously, having a feeling that we were going down a dangerous road.

"I'm saying," she paused, pursing her lips and breaking her eye contact to look somewhere above my head, "I'm saying that you feel the same way about Annabeth now just as you did when we dated. Maybe you were confused then, but you cared more about her than you ever did me."

"Annabeth's my best friend," I stated simply, probably something that I didn't need to do since it seemed like I had been doing that every, single, day now.

Calypso chuckled, no humor in her eyes nor in her voice, "Most people don't kiss their best friend."

"He—How'd you know?" I stuttered, processing what Calypso was actually saying. Sure, our friends knew that Annabeth and I had kissed and all that, but I didn't think that anyone else knew.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out ho—" she halted midsentence, shaking her head lightly. Resignation filled her brown eyes as she met my gaze once again and anguish washed over me. "You guys would make it a lot easier for everyone if you just—if you just didn't date other people."

I furrowed my eyebrows, not liking what it seemed that Calypso was saying. "Annabeth and I never cheated on anyone," I protested. If there was thing I wasn't, I wasn't a cheater. That one was certain. Yes, I was extremely far from being a cheater, light years away.

She raised her eyebrows, sending me a knowing look before reopening her book once again. "Percy," Calypso sighed lightly, toying again with a hair lying against her face, "I know you would never cheat on anyone or help anyone cheat. You're way too loyal, but the problem is that you _are_ so loyal."

"Since when is loyalty a problem?" I questioned, recalling that it was normally one of those things that people actually _wanted_ in a person, or at least that was what I always thought. Now for Calypso, who knew what she wanted, but it turned out that it was starting to look a lot like me.

Her expression became pained as she picked her pen to twirl it in her hand. "It's a problem when you're too loyal to let someone go," she bit her lip, rolling it between her teeth slightly.

I shrugged, not seeing the huge problem. "It's not like life doesn't go on or anything."

Calypso sighed, muttering something under her breath that I couldn't hear at all besides muffled sounds that would probably make up words. "You don't even realize it do you?" I shrugged again in an attempt to show that I wasn't following. Her face tensed for a second before she continued, "You're so loyal that you're putting your life on hold."

"Nah, I'm not," I replied unevenly, this conversation seeming to remind me a lot like one that I had with Annabeth, or well, that one wound up being an argument…

"When was the last time you dated someone?" Apparently Calypso didn't intend to let this one go but instead wanted to wage a full-scale investigation on me. If it weren't for the fact that I had free period, I probably would have left right then and there.

"Uh…" I thought back, knowing the answer already and knowing that she knew it too, "I think you know." My lips formed a straight line, wondering if Calypso was asking this for some rhyme or reason.

Again, she sent some knowing look that, yeah, I picked up on but had no idea the meaning behind. "You obviously weren't caught up on me," I opened by mouth to protest, but she bulldozed right over me, "so who was that you were caught up on that you couldn't date?"

Narrowing my eyes, I noticed a knowing smirk was beginning to ghost Calypso's mouth. "It doesn't matter," I grumbled, not caring where this conversation was going. Sure, it seemed to be common fact that I liked Annabeth, to everyone it seemed but her, but it didn't mean that I wanted to run around telling everyone about it.

She shook her head, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "I'd like to go back to being friends again, Percy," Calypso said simply, running a hand quickly though her hair as she thankfully changed the subject.

Sure, it didn't sound bad to me, but I still had my reservations. "Do you think you can handle that?" By the look she threw me, I knew it came off worse than expected. "I mean, would you be able to…" I trailed off, figuring she knew where this conversation was going.

Calypso bit her lip, sending me a timid look that told me she couldn't be sure. "I thought we agreed to forget the kiss." I nodded, remembering having made that agreement to her before. She rolled her eyes, a playful smile glossing over her features. "Okay, then let's forget about that and go back to being friends. I think we were pretty good at that one."

I smiled despite myself, "Yeah, I think we were too."

**…**

I stayed after school for Annabeth, even though she didn't know. What would actually be more correct would be to say that I looked for Annabeth after school, knowing that Luke was giving her a ride home again, and he had practice for basketball—I was pretty certain. Since I had swim practice, as well as it being Friday, I had an hour to kill with no intention of spending it on homework. Plus, I figured that my friendship with Annabeth was more important than schoolwork, even if she didn't seem to value it. Alright, that's harsh, but that comment struck me pretty hard.

Since I couldn't find her in any place that I looked, my mind had ample time to wander, basically just thinking about different things regarding Annabeth. Her hair, the way it fell in simple ringlets that weren't as curled as when we were younger. Her eyes, the grey that turned stormy at night and shined when she appeared to be in deep thought. Her skin, the smooth feeling beneath my fingers when the tips of my fingers brushed again her. I missed her, and I didn't know why. However, I was certain I understood what Annabeth meant when saying she had missed me that day, on Christmas Eve. She meant she had missed me, our friendship, just like I was missing her and the bond we had shared. I was starting to wonder if maybe that bond wasn't as strong anymore…

I stumbled my way into the last place she could possibly be—the auditorium. If she wasn't there, well, I had no idea what I would do… I just hoped that she was there. And well, I was lucky because she was.

"You've found me," her stiff voice rang out at I stumbled down the aisles of the auditorium. She glanced up towards me quickly before her curls fell back over her shoulder and her attention on whatever lay in front of her.

I nodded, scratching the back of my head. "It wasn't easy," I humored, all truth actually behind that statement. As I continued walking to the stage, I expected some form of response from her—well, I just figured she might attempt to keep conversation since she did in fact start it in the first place. Apparently, I was wrong, completely wrong, as she remained dead silent, her hand skillfully moving over the piece of who-knows-what in front of her. I cleared my throat, noting the way her eyebrow rose even though her head remained pointed downwards. "You know, the play only meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

She nodded curtly, not uttering a word nor looking up at me. Apparently, she wasn't at all happy with me, and I couldn't say that I exactly _blamed_ her… It just would have been nice to carry on a two-way conversation with, you know, two people actually talking instead of one.

"So, what are you doing here?" I threw out, jumping up onto the edge of the stage so that I wasn't a couple of feet below Annabeth.

Using her left hand, the one she wasn't using to draw or sketch or something, she gestured over the pieces of who-knows-what, blueprints, a ruler, and an exacto-knife that were laid out in front of her, the right hand remaining busy on altering the blueprints.

"Oh nice," I muttered, waiting for any response from Annabeth. Apparently, she didn't even find it worthwhile to nod, and if I were honest, it was annoying as heck. "Annabeth," I began again, attempting to keep my voice steady, "can't we talk or something? And don't shake your head or something, actually answer me."

Her dark eyes met mine, no amusement in them at all. "I think we've said enough to each other," she deadpanned, pushing her bangs off her forehead before breaking her eye contact from me once again.

"Well, I don't think we have," I shot back, not even attempting to hide any of the annoyance in my voice. "I have more to say, and maybe if you gave me the chance I could actually say it."

"Really, Percy?" Her pencil dropped from her hand before her grey eyes met mine, stone grey and just as cold. "I'd prefer not to be called as bad as my dad who's a drunk once again because hearing it once was enough. Plus, nothing truly gets through to drunks, so I really think there's no point in wasting your breath."

I shook my head, running a hand through my hair. It seemed like the comment would do nothing except bite me in the ass. "Can't you just forget about it?" I carelessly mumbled, figuring that she wouldn't be able to hear what I said anyways.

"No, I don't think I can," she countered, sliding her blueprints away from herself. "I don't think I can forget the fact that my so-called best friend equated me with that of a drunk, my father no less. I'm sorry that I can't forget the fact that my so-called best friend, who I tell almost everything to, threw it back into my face. So Percy," her voice became dangerously firm, echoing the tense expression upon her face, "I don't think I can just forget about it."

"Well," I paused, narrowing my eyes as she flippantly grasped her pencil once again and began adjusting her blueprints into a neater fashion, "maybe if you actually told me _everything_ we wouldn't be in this situation."

"Don't act righteous," she sneered, pointing the tip of her pencil towards me, "when you don't even tell me everything."

I laughed, no humor filling the gusts of air. "You're joking right?" Her expression stayed set, a sign that _no, _she was _not_ joking. "What else is there for me to tell you? I tell you everything already."

"No," she emphasized, swiveling the pencil in her grasp before something that I couldn't place replaced her current expression, "you don't tell me everything."

"Actually I do," I dismissed, leaning back on my hands with no attempt to hide the smirk on my face. It wasn't every day that I got to best Annabeth Chase.

Her eyebrows rose, the pencil spinning between her fingers once again before her arm dropped. "Percy, how do you feel about me?"

Confusion spread across my face quickly, not seeing why Annabeth felt the need to even voice the question; if you asked me, it was a stupid question. "Annoyed," I shot back, echoing her raised eyebrows with my own.

She shook her head, letting her head fall back down as her attention became set on the blueprints in front of her. "Next time, maybe you should consider things with a deeper meaning than just the surface that you prefer to graze." And with that confusing line, she said nothing else to me.

Deciding that it wouldn't be worthwhile to see the amused expression on Annabeth's face when I asked what she meant, I instead focused on the surrounding stage and blueprints that I could not even understand. It was pointless—useless—how I attempted to understand anything written on the blueprints. Truthfully, I was avoiding staring at the blonde girl in front of me who caused all of the annoyance that was boiling inside of me; I didn't come here to fight, and it seemed like that was all we were doing recently. "Why are we?" She made a sound of clarification, and I sighed in frustration, catching Annabeth's entire, perplexed expression. "Why are we even best friends anymore?"

Her mouth opened, but no words tumbled out as her eyes narrowed in search, obviously in search of something. After her grey eyes took in my entire features, she clamped her mouth shut, dropping the pencil carefully on the blueprints—it seemed to be excruciatingly slow, might I add, before her attention focused on me, a guarded expression. "What do you mean?"

I paused, attempting to form the words together correctly so that it all made sense. "I came here to try to fix things between us, but whenever I try to fix things, it's like you don't even want to try."

"That's a ridiculous accusation," she replied coolly, saying nothing more than that.

I shrugged, just speaking what I was thinking. "This is how it always seemed to turn out—we argue and fight, and nothing changes. Then, we act like nothing happened until it shows up again."

Her lips pursed before she said slowly, "I'm fairly certain it has always been like that between us."

"It hasn't." I shook my head, pulling at the ends of my hair in anger. "I can't do _this_ anymore. I can't keep fighting with you and getting angry and annoyed. I can't keep having your friendship for a month only for us being best friends to end again because you start dating someone else. I'm so _done_ with all of this. I can't_ do_ this anymore."

She nodded slightly, watching me with a neutral expression. "Then, why don't you do something about it this time?" She questioned, her voice even and level as if anything that I just said made no difference.

"Because nothing I do makes a difference," I answered dejectedly, pushing the closest thing near me with the end of my sneakers. "We don't even know each other anymore," I muttered, glancing away from Annabeth and into the empty auditorium. There was no else there besides the two of us, but it might as well have been filled with strangers because I was certain I would have felt just as alone with total and complete strangers as I did with Annabeth near me now. It wasn't right; it was never like this before. "And… I hate it."

Swinging my gaze towards Annabeth after a moment, I noticed she still regarded me with the same guarded look, her grey eyes focused intently on me. "Percy," she started, pushing a stray curl behind her ear, "what are you saying?"

"I don't know," I responded uncertainly, meeting her grey eyes with my green.

"What do you want, Percy?" She calmly reiterated, not breaking her gaze from mine. I shook my head, knowing that if I spoke the answer I would have to accept the truth that I so desperately desired to hide from day in and day out. "It doesn't make it any better by not saying it," her bitter response rang out, no emotion changing on her face.

"I think I like it better unsaid," I shot back, no real snap or anything behind my voice but dread. _Why did I have to bring this up? Why couldn't I let this just stay hidden away in the corner forever?_

"Because it wouldn't work," Annabeth said simply, a small frown flickering across her lips. "You brought it up because you couldn't let another thing go unsaid, Percy," answering the question that I knew I had nothing for which to supply as an answer, answering the question that I didn't even need to voice for her to know that it was flowing through my head.

A small smile formed across my lips, my eyes dropping from hers. "You know me well," I stated, just saying what it seemed we all knew.

"No," a sigh came from where Annabeth was as I glanced down at the different layers of stitching in my jeans, "I don't know you well, anymore. I wish I did," her voice came out cracked as my head shot up to see her face, water forming behind her eyes, "but I don't. You were right," Annabeth said finally, a grimace forming across her features. "I'm just as bad as my dad."

"No," I refuted quickly, knowing that not to be true, "you're not. It was just something I said stupidly in anger."

She nodded, shrugging a shoulder with no real commitment behind her actions. "You should say it you know," her voice became steadier again as the one sign of weakness behind her eyes seemed to dissolve.

"Say what?" I questioned, earning a neutral stare from Annabeth. "You could tell me, you know, instead of acting like I'm supposed to figure everything out. I'm not you, Annabeth," the last twinge of annoyance that I still had laced throughout those words.

"You act like I don't know that already," she replied evenly, not even reacting to what I said.

"Sometimes I think you forget," I shot back, not understanding why she couldn't just react to things but felt the need to be so damn prideful. "But wait, you have too much pride to even admit it if you forgot."

She half-way rolled her eyes, stopping as they pointed diagonally upwards. "Do I really need to repeat everything that I already told you I _remembered _because I'm quite certain that forgetting _those_ would put us in a different situation than we are in now. Actually, we would be in a better situation had you simply not said those things at all."

I pressed my lips together, figuring that was better than what would have come out of my mouth at first thought. "It would help if you weren't so condescending," I ultimately shot back.

"It would help if you weren't so ignorant," she dismissed, never seeming to admit when she was wrong either.

I shrugged, knowing that there was some truth in that. "Maybe if you outright told me then it wouldn't be such a problem."

"And yet, you call me the hypocrite," she chuckled quickly, the humor having not reached her eyes or even the chuckles that escaped from her mouth, "when you're the one who isn't outright saying what's on your mind. This isn't a one-way street, Percy. You can't throw everything on me when you're also doing the exact same thing." Annabeth stopped, a knowing smile forming across her features. "So, I think the same goes to you, Percy. Actually, I know the converse applies because we wouldn't be here if you just said what you've been meaning to say for days. Yet for some reason, you prefer to take out your anger and frustration on me because you can't just bring yourself to say it. So yes, we argue and fight, but I'm not just going to sit around and let you take everything out on me. You can go to Calypso for that."

"Calypso has nothing to do with any of this," I retorted, knowing that these problems were between Annabeth and me only.

She shook her head in indignation, an eyebrow rising as she did so. "You're mistaken then."

"Just drop your pride and accept the fact that this has everything to do with you and not something else!" My resolve finally broke, tired of every, single time that Annabeth and I seemed to end in fighting or arguing or some comment that Annabeth seemed to make or I, although it tended to be Annabeth.

"It's not that simple," she uttered through gritted teeth, not letting her voice rise.

"It's because you make everything difficult," I expanded upon what she said, ensuring that my voice was just a tad bit lower than a yell unlike before.

She shrugged a shoulder, never seeming to take things like this as seriously as I did. "It's due to the fact that there's a pile of things that hasn't been said; it's not my doing, Percy. So for once, why don't you just say it? Why don't you just actually say it instead of coming back days later and causing something like this to happen once again."

"It's not my fault," I grinded out, not caring to say anything longer as I knew it would merely turn into words filled with anger.

"Let me guess. It's mine again, isn't it?" Annabeth replied with yet another snide remark, a sound of amusement escaping her mouth as she rolled her eyes this time.

I firmly pressed my palms into the stage, standing up to leave. If she wanted me to say it, then I could. I could say it, but it didn't mean we would like it. "We need a break. Are you_ happy_ now?" I clenched my fists, attempting to keep my anger at bay so that I could at least deliver this with an even voice. "I finally said it, alright? We're done, Annabeth. Get back to me when you actually give a shit."

Turning on my heel, I jumped from the stage, not caring as the impact with the floor jarred my bones. I didn't want to be around her any longer because I knew if I saw her grey eyes again I would merely give in and apologize. Maybe she was right; maybe this did need to happen. I had to tell myself that or else I wouldn't have had the will to put one foot in front of the other and leave the auditorium; I wouldn't have had the will to not let the words tumble out of my mouth to take back what I had said. It was true, wasn't it? Didn't we need a break?

"Congratulations," Annabeth patronized, sneering with amusement that highlighted each syllable as I moved myself further from her, "you said it. Let me know when you're ready to be the Percy that I was best friends with instead of this one."

I abruptly stopped right in front of the door, whipping around, unable to make out the expression as her words drove into me. "I'm the same person that I was before, but you sure as hell aren't. Get back to me when you realize that." I slammed my hand against the door, letting the light flood in as I propelled myself from the room.

Yes, it was definitely true. We needed a break.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: It wasn't really a fight, I don't think. It wasn't as high strung with emotion as before. It was more of finally getting it out there—something like resignation; it was a nice fizzle, I do believe. ;) Anywho, I'm sort of not happy with how I wrote this chapter, but it needed to be done. Maybe I'm not happy with how I wrote it because I didn't want this to happen, being a Percabeth fan and all. : Blargh, who knows.**

**So, what did y'all think of it? I'd love to know, and suggestions, of course, are always welcome.**

**Until next time,**

**~ Jam.**

**26 RAK.**

**P.S. I'm ready for some rebuilding, some tranquil after the fizzing. ;) - - nice winking face right there ;)**

* * *

><p>Anonymous Review Replies<p>

_Anonymous – Hah, two weeks later is pretty good for me; I honestly don't know if I could do it any quicker. I've had so many tests and quizzes this week. I'll try to keep up with about every 2 weeks, though._

_Guest (1) – thanks! I do plan to keep updating it. :)_

_Guest (2) – I think everyone wants Percy to get a clue._

_Guest (3) – Hm, I really don't think Calypso is soo bad… That's just my opinion, though._

_Guest (4) – fluff in moderation is always nice, I do believe._

_Em – Hahahah, thank you! Wow, well thank you so much, and I'm sorry about that, hah. Oh wow, thank you so much for that. I, seriously, love _you_ for this review. It honestly means a lot. Wow, thanks._

_B – Well, I don't think they'll ever truly _stop_ fighting, but I think it'll all have to simmer down… Hm, after this chapter seems like a good time ;) That may just be my thoughts, though. Nice to see yah, by the way._

_Guest – your wish is my command._


	15. Day 15, 16, 17

**Only Thirty Days****  
>Summary: <strong>Thirty days is all I need to change my best friend into my girlfriend, but whoever said that it would be easy? To start this off right, this is 'Day 0,' leaving me with thirty more days to make Annabeth mine. Just remember, things are never that easy.

**Thank Yous: ** MaydayParade8123, A-LovesHP, trangha, riml, tajee165, PercyJackson is SeaweedBrain, TheLostRelic, AtlantaJackson95, SonOfTheOcean, WisestOwl, Paylor123, appollo8888, outsider, charline, Stephenlongboard, PPP4eva, Zozo, burning book, I Am Noah Son Of Ares, fantasy girl loves fantasy, Percabethlvrknowsall, CimFan, CopperPhoenix, Awesomel, ILurvCupcakes, Guest, Guest, shannononom, St. Walker, leprechaunlady, rk21691, rk291691, Daddysdingo, Guest, Em, Guest, B, Air Flare, Air Flare, Guest.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I don't own PJO… (still)

**A/N:** There have been so many different takes on the latest chapter—some think Percy needs to give in while others think Percy shouldn't give in at all and needs to hold out longer. Some liked the argument; others didn't. Somewhere in there, I fall with my beliefs. So, I will say that I've had this chapter written since the previous was posted. It has only been revised—with certain aspects added, into the chapter.

Also, I have a music playlist made for this story on my tumblr (idea courtesy of MaydayParade8123 having done that for FAKE) therefore I shall give y'all the link here: (remove spaces and *) **heroluke. Tumblr. * com * /onlythirtydays**

**Nevertheless, guys, I love the number 7.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 15<span>**

**Day 15.**

They said that things needed to fall apart sometimes to be fixed; I hoped they were right because it didn't seem like it was right to me. I fell apart. Memories tore at my brain, crashing into every passing thought that I had. I couldn't even escape it in my dreams—everything led back to Annabeth or some memory being replayed. But the worst part was, I knew I was dreaming. I knew I was tossing back and forth in bed as the memories were hurled at me; I knew I was dreaming because the memories were much too good to be the present reality. I knew I was dreaming because they were snippets of the Annabeth that I used to know, the Annabeth that I had barely even seen in years. I just wanted to escape reality, but I couldn't, not even in my dreams. There was no place for me to _go_ and escape; there was no place for me to go besides acceptance. I had to accept that we weren't Percy and Annabeth anymore, instead I was Percy. She was Annabeth. A new Annabeth, a different Annabeth. There were no us. We weren't best friends, not until she came to me and tried to fix things. I considered it, considered calling her at twelve in the morning when the day finally changed to the next, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to pick up the phone that lay next to my bed, illuminating the darkness. I knew that this time I couldn't apologize and act like things were alright; for once, I finally accepted that it wasn't my entire fault.

_Click_. Another minute gone by, and I could do nothing but will myself to sleep once again, to hope that maybe I could have some different dream instead of replaying it all through my head—the arguments, the yelling, the hopelessness. I wanted something, anything, different than that. I could deal with something, anything, besides a reminder of the fact that Annabeth and I were no longer what we used to be; she was no longer who she used to be. I wanted that. I missed that. I craved that. I forced myself to sleep, though it took minutes until it came, minutes spent staring at my eyelids. But when I finally did reach the state of unconsciousness, it was more than I could have ever asked.

Blonde hair in curls remained in front of me, resting on a head that was taller than me. I wasn't sure what age I was, but I knew this girl somehow. It all seemed familiar, something that I was much too used to, almost as if I had lived this before. My eyes tracked her as she flit across the room, talking to multiple people, pushing her hair out of her face. It seemed that each place she went—the rug, the jungle gym, the space area—there was nothing that could hold her attention for more than a few minutes. I felt the same way, often times, unless I was at the fish tank. She continued her trail, crisscrossing from area to area until she found herself with the blocks. It was there that she stayed the longest. It was there that I observed her face focus on each block, stacking them into piles with similar shapes.

It wasn't too long before a skyscraper was made, then another, and another. It wasn't long before the city of New York sprawled around her, only missing the noises of taxies and people rushing without notice of the lives continuing around them. It was only missing the dirt and noise and life of New York City. But besides that, it was almost perfect. They called her a genius.

Teachers came to watch the girl construct different pieces or draw different buildings on sheets of paper. They tested her in other areas like math, science, reading, and writing. In the end, they decided she was not a genius; when she read, he eyebrows furrowed together as her eyes scoured over the crisp, black ink, taking longer at words than they deemed necessary. It was too slow, they said. She could not be a genius, they said. Soon, the audience around her buildings decreased as they assumed she was merely good with blocks or drawing rectangles with smaller rectangles for windows. Soon, the group of teachers became only one until even she sighed and focused her attention on everyone else. Every other kid had already lost interest, except for me who watched her from afar, watched the way she constantly pushed her curls from out of her face as she was determined to continue building. She had to start anew each time as at the end she was forced to knock everything she had built down. Her face contorted into pain those days, her lips pursing together before she reluctantly broke apart all that she built.

I would later learn that it was because _she wanted to build something permanent_. I would later learn that her name was Annabeth. I would later learn that she could always hold my attention as she did those first few weeks, not counting when she took it upon herself to instruct me on architecture. I would later learn that her ramblings about architecture would bore me to sleep.

Some said she was weird. I said she was perfect. She was still taller than me as we raced down a hill, no surprise as she beat me down it. I claimed she was cheating. She asserted I was just slow to start, but it didn't matter because, she said, she would always win. I claimed she was wrong. I knew she was right. She was always right as I would later learn. It was almost a fact about her, something set in stone that could not occur any other way. They said she had cooties. I said they were wrong. I could not have been friends with a girl who had cooties. It was during those times where some said she was pretty as well. It was during those times that after we ran down the hill I would look at her smiling triumphantly, wondering what they meant by the fact that she was pretty. She was Annabeth, my best friend. I didn't see what they meant. I never understood. I merely saw the princess curls that fell upon her shoulders and the piercing grey eyes that were the signatures of my best friend. They said she was pretty. I had yet to see it.

We were walking in the hall, a completely different school than before. People were dating, saying they were in love or tossing crumbled pieces of paper that scribbled out the three words. I had never been one of them—but it didn't mean I didn't have a crush. The girl next to me was still taller; blonde curls still fell as well. Something had changed that summer before while she was gone. She came back different, more remarkable. I had realized the year before that the small freckles printed across her nose and the knowing smile made her pretty. I had realized she was pretty, but now, she was no longer pretty. There was something different in the way her tan skin illuminated her stormy eyes and the way her flaxen curls plunged longer now. She was beautiful, and it scared me that she was just that. It scared me that I could no longer meet her eyes without my cheeks heating up or how my eyes somehow were attracted to her, always seeming to fall upon her. I would later learn it would never change. I would later learn my affection was not the only one well placed.

We were almost the same height now, but she was still as prideful as ever. She had something to prove that day: that she was not a wimp. If it were anyone else, they would have admitted that the movie scared them but not Annabeth. If she had admitted she was afraid, she would not have been Annabeth. She had something to prove, and it was not what I expected. I had loved the way she buried her head into my chest or held onto my shirt for dear life. A smile inched across my features despite the scariness of the movie due to the soft, lemon aroma that whispered up my nose. It was Annabeth, and it was perfect, pride and all. She had something to prove soon when I called her a wimp; I merely wanted her to admit it, but of course she had other plans because, or so she claimed, she was no wimp. It was simple really, how she brought her lips to mine in the softest way possible, but it was something so simple that impacted so largely.

It shifted again, a different school than before, a bigger school with more people and more lives intertwined. They said she was beautiful, popular even. I never thought much about it until she started dating. There was boy after boy, and it seemed that I was left in the dust. I would have done anything to be there for her, to have her back as my friend. I did anything, then, even though it was at the expense of my own feelings. I was her rock, her safety, someone she would run always run to, her fallback. It was for short intervals, a hug here, a hand hold there, before it became kisses here and kisses there. It was a step from what I wanted, but a chasm in between it.

It was better than nothing, I believed. I would soon learn that it wasn't.

She was still perfect, I believed.

It wasn't the same to watch her kiss other guys then come running back to me. It wasn't the same as when we walked down the hall together, and I was the only one who saw her complete and utter beauty. It wasn't the same as when she had worn loose tshirts and jeans versus the tight, revealing ones she picked out now. It wasn't the same as when I watched her carefully place blocks and became entranced in her entire being. It was different, then, with other people making note of her, other people turning their heads. We were best friends, we said. It was still perfect, we said. It was love, some said, that kept me at her side, but I knew better. It was far from perfect, I knew. It wasn't love, for certain. It wasn't the same girl as before, and yet I forced myself to believe it was.

But somehow I knew, I couldn't love a girl who didn't love me back.

The kisses. The play. The shark tooth. The owl ring. The yells. The invitation. The drinking. The leaving. The moving. The laughing. The kiss. The ending. Pieces, bits and pieces, shattered into the happy visions as a smile from her would soon morph into complete yelling or a grin from me into some insult that I had hurled towards her. It was black now, nothing. There were no memories in front of me, just the sounds of words echoing in the darkness, against the walls that I could not see.

"You're a jerk."

"You're an idiot."

"Why are we even best friends anymore?"

_Because I need you_, became lodged in my throat, not hurled into the darkness that all seemed to surround me. _Because I need you more than you ever needed me_. A tick in the background, the stumbling of footsteps, the darkness. It was over; there was nothing left. The dreams had passed, no matter how real they had seemed.

"Because I need you," I whispered into the darkness, slowly opening my eyes into the dark of my room. "Because I needed you more than you ever needed me. Because I thought you were perfect." My chest raised slowly, the breath pushing out my nose with little sound being added. In this silence, there was nothing but reality. The ticking of the clock and passing of time, the rising of my chest and reminder of life, the cool sweat on my forehead and burn behind my eyes. "What happened to us," I croaked out in a breath, hearing the thump of my heart beat inside me. "What happened to _you?"_ I missed the weight against my chest when her head would rest there, and my eyes would open to meet grey ones watching me. I could close my eyes now and wish that hers appeared or see them in my head, but I would know now that they weren't real. It would merely be an illusion that I did not need. It was reality that I needed to face; I needed to face that fact that all along, for the past four years, Annabeth had used me. I needed to face the fact that she was far from perfect and could, _did_, do wrong. It was the reality that I had to face.

**…**

**Day 16.**

Goode won the swim meet, and I of course was happy, right? I had to be happy because we were on our way to qualifying for the State Wide Championships if we kept things up, and yet I was far from happy. My eyes would glance towards the stands, hoping to see her there chanting or even reading; she used to sit there and chant for me, each and every single time. They had chanted my name as I cut through the water and into the lead that I never let go of; they had congratulated me in the end, slapping my back or jostling my head. All the faces blurred together with grins and congratulations, the parents' compliments whirling through my ears. I plastered a smile, did what I was supposed to because I was happy, right? I had to be happy despite the cold feeling pressing into my chest as the shark tooth lay under my slightly damp shirt.

I was supposed to be happy and not care that her presence was amiss.

She was supposed to be there; at least, I thought she would have been.  
>The Annabeth I knew would have been; the one who didn't use me would have been.<p>

I guess, sometimes, we're wrong.  
>I guess, sometimes, we change.<p>

I hoped, then, that we could change again.  
>I hoped, then, that we could change <em>back.<em>

**…**

**Day 17.**

They never told me how I would miss her or long for her presence, her old presence. They never told me how my mind would create the sound of her text, but my eyes would not fall on an unread message from her or anyone else for that matter. They never told me how we seemed so happy in all the long forgotten pictures that I viewed with a flick of my finger to propel the previous one and bring on the next. They never told me how to live without her. But if they had, I wouldn't have listened because I wouldn't have thought I would ever need to know.

I wouldn't have thought she would become the person she was now.

It was desperation that drove me to knock on her door with bags in my hand a few hours after school ended. I merely hoped for a glimpse of her, even some little thing that would prove that she was alive; I merely hoped to know that the Annabeth that I knew before, the young one that filled my dreams, could and would manifest herself. I don't know what I truly hoped for, going there, but I knew it was better than nothing, waiting on a doorstep that I had merely crossed without much thought so many times. I could no longer simply pass the doorstep, knowing that Annabeth would already be waiting at the door, scolding me for the fact that I was rather late. It wasn't like that anymore. _She_ wasn't like that anymore.

Maybe I should have been angry at her, but I wasn't. I was tired—extremely tired of everything that had transpired between us lately. It wasn't anger that coursed through my veins but something different that pumped the oxygen to my extremities. It was something I couldn't name.

When my knuckles rapped against the door again, the entire thing seemed to be nothing but a boondoggle. Even if Annabeth was home, she didn't appear to want to talk to me or see me for that matter. She could have opened the door and slammed it in my face for all I cared. It would have been better than nothing; I was certain of that. Just a glimpse of her golden hair would have been better than nothing. Because if I saw her only briefly, I could pretend that she was the Annabeth that I had made her out to be for all these years; I could pretend that she hadn't become someone who I was, quite honestly, starting to resent.

"Sorry," the door swung open to show Mrs. Chase, Annabeth's stepmom, wearing an apron dotted with flour, "I was in the kitchen and was holding something… Oh, Percy." Her voice changed quickly as if she had just realized who I was. A sigh racked through her body before she stepped aside to allow me entrance. "Come in."

I nodded, stepping over the doorstep to kick off my shoes and shed my coat. "Thanks," I said simply, not hearing a single sound playing throughout the house. "It's quiet."

A sad smile passed her features as she ran her hands along the edges of her apron. "Sadly, that seems to have been the case around here for a while. Ever since New Years' Eve, really."

"Oh," I responded quickly, registering the events of that day—the arguing, the beer, the pleading, "I'm sorry about that."

"You're here to see Annabeth, I'm assuming?" I couldn't bring myself to correct her but instead simply nodded. "I'm sorry to say that she has virtually moved out. Her stuff is still here, but she hasn't spent a night here since her dad moved out. She comes to visit the boys and all, but she never stays much longer than that. Other times, her trips are only to bring some of her essentials to her father's place."

"What about the boys?" I questioned, figuring that if Annabeth wasn't around I could still take care of what I planned to do.

"Annabeth brought them to their father's," Christine explained, pushing a piece of hair from off her forehead. "They should be back within the hour, though. If you don't mind my asking, what have you got there?"

I glanced down at the bags held in my grasp, recalling the different objects I had stuffed in them. "It's for the boys," I revealed, shifting from foot to foot. "I promised them that I would get them some things, so I just thought I would drop by today."

She nodded once, turning her head towards the kitchen quickly. "You can stick around if you would like, until they come back. Like I said, they should be back within the hour." Her eyes wearily came to rest on me again as her expression sunk, "If you have something else you need to do, you can do that and drop those off here. I'll tell the boys they're from you."

"No, it's okay," I declined, noting the way her lips curved upward slightly. Releasing the bags at the stairs, I walked closer to her, "Do you need help in the kitchen?"

A slight smile met her lips as she made her way back to the kitchen, "I could use some help, yes."

"Cool but I'm no chef," I threw back, not wanting her to think that I could pluck a chicken or season something well.

She laughed lightly, moving directly towards the oven before pulling out a tray of cookies. "I don't profess to be amazing, but I think I can whip up a nice batch of cookies."

"From what I've tasted, you're pretty good," I complimented, accepting the cookie that she extended towards me.

"Thank you, Percy," her voice came out strained, and I glanced towards her to see her attention focused on the tray of cookies. "It's weird without Fred or Annabeth around. I realize that I'm not Annabeth's mom however I started to think of her as being my daughter." I nodded, not knowing what else to say to that. "The quiet is nice, I guess."

I shrugged, chewing the cookie to give me something to do. "I'm not used to it."

"That makes two of us," she chuckled lightly, grabbing a spatula to remove the cookies from the tray and onto a plate.

"What do you do when someone becomes someone that they weren't originally?" I ventured, knowing that if there was anyone who might even understand what I was going through it would be Mrs. Chase.

Her eyebrows rose as she continued to slide cookies onto the plate. "You hope that they've changed into someone better than they were before."

"And, if they haven't?" I questioned uneasily, recalling the fact that neither person in our cases had seemed to turn into someone that we wanted them to be.

Dropping the spatula on the table, her eyes narrowed onto me, shifting between the two of my mine. I gulped instinctively, regretting it immediately as my mouth became dry. "Did Frederick send you here to do this?"

My hands quickly rose in surrender, not being prepared for a response such as this. "No, wait, nothing like that happened. I was just wondering… because of stuff that happened to me," I rambled, not wanting to be on the defending side of any possible attack from Mrs. Chase. Heck, I didn't want to be attacked by anyone.

She pursed her lips, looking me over with a calculating gaze as though she had a scale inside her head that weighed the truthfulness of what I said. "If they haven't changed for the better, you have to accept it, tell them, or cut them from your life. Sometimes, you do two, and other times, you do all three. Percy, why are you asking me these things?"

"I have no one else who would get it," I muttered, scratching the back of my head while glancing down at the floor. Had it really come to this? Was I really having this conversation with Annabeth's stepmom?

"Did something happen between you and one of your friends?" She asked quietly, the sound of wax paper coming from where she stood.

I nodded, stuffing my hands into my pockets. "Yeah, something like that happened."

"Friends grow apart, you know," she stated simply, the sound of water clanking against metal filling the kitchen. "But even if you grow apart, it doesn't mean that you have to lose your friendship. It might change into another form."

"Or become nonexistent," I muttered under the rush of water that easily concealed my question.

"You can wait in Annabeth's room, if you would like," Mrs. Chase suggested, and I was more than certain that it was her nice way of saying that she no longer cared to talk to me. Apparently not everyone wanted to talk about every situation in which they were involved. I supposed I couldn't blame her for that, but it didn't mean I was exactly pleased since it messed up my plan to talk to someone who might have understood.

"Alright, thanks," I mumbled, despite wanting to know what to do with the situation I was in; maybe, I figured, if I had simply told her the circumstance she would have helped. I couldn't be sure. I wouldn't be sure without telling her that. "Wait," I began, for once deciding not let things go unsaid, "what happened four years ago? I mean, did something change?"

The sound of rushing water stopped, as Mrs. Chase carefully placed the tray away before turning towards me. "Four years ago," she mumbled, running her hands absentmindedly across a dish towel, "Fred got his new job as a professor four years ago. He was away from the family a lot then. Why?"

I shrugged a shoulder, scratching the back of my head, "Things changed around then, didn't they?"

She sighed lightly, pushing a greying hair behind her ear, "Well, things were certainly different. They boys had less time with their father, but I think Annabeth had even less out of them all. I know she always claimed that she had homework which Fred believed, but I knew it was that she didn't want to take the time away from her brothers. She really just wanted her father to scout her out."

"But he never did," I supplied somewhat quietly, attempting to figure how this all fit into the grand scheme of things.

Her lips pursed slightly as she leaned against the back of the counter. "Unfortunately, he never did. Annabeth never acted like it was a big deal, but I noticed some things changed during that time."

"Like what?" I asked, shifting my weight to my other foot.

"Well," she began, contorting her face into thought before focusing on me again, "I started to get worried about her. You came over less and less, and she almost completely stopped going to your house. She never brought it up, so I merely assumed that you guys were video chatting or whatever kids call it these days."

"Skype, oovoo, or face time…" I added, considering if Annabeth and I ever actually did that on a regular basis. "It's not as good as the real thing," I supplied without expanding. Because if I had expanded, I would have had to tell her that _no_ we never did any of that; that _yes_ things changed; that we were falling apart then.

"Saying this will more than likely age me, but I have to say that I do agree. Technology has really inhibited your generation's communication skills," she digressed, a warm expression covering her face. "I have to say, Percy, that there was a time when I was certain that you and Annabeth would date and fall in love. I guess some people are only meant to be best friends."

I chuckled, matching my light laughter with hers instead of letting my face fall as the pit of my stomach did. "I'll always be here for her," I replied simply, inwardly cringing at the fact that it didn't seem mutual. Maybe the problem was that I was always there. Maybe, for once, I shouldn't have been there. But no, I could never bring myself to not be there for her, and maybe that had been a part of the problem all along; I was always there, no matter what she did.

"That's what's so great about your friendship," Mrs. Chase began, a faraway look covering her face. "No matter what you guys go through, you're still there for each other—no matter how long it has been. It's truly rare."

I shrugged, running a hand through my hair. "I think a lot of people just don't give each other the chance to be there."

"I don't know about tha—" her words became muffled at the sound of a door opening and voices filling the house. It seemed right, the way the three voices mingled in the house, creating noise that I had become accustomed to after so long. Yet at the same time, despite just how right it was, everything seemed to be broken, the way Mrs. Chase's smile was just a hint fake and how whatever conversation between us seemed to be dead in the wind. "Boys, someone's here to see you," she called from the kitchen, winking at me quickly.

They came tumbling in, no surprise that they were dressed in the same clothes but alternating colors. Sometimes, the differing colors were the only signs of them being two different people. It definitely made it a lot easier to get their names right, and sometimes I even wondered if that was how Mr. and Mrs. Chase distinguished between the two of them. "Hey guys," I greeted, leaning against the back of the counter.

I was waiting for her, waiting to see the look on her face when she saw me standing there. Yet at the same time, just the thought of seeing her increased my heart rate, forcing me to wonder if it should really be beating so quickly—if it was healthy.

"Percy, what are you doing here?" Bobby asked, his confused expression being highlighted by his furrowed brow.

"Well, I promised you guys some stuff on Christmas—"

"No way, where is it?" Mathew spoke, both of theirs eyes searching the kitchen for their supposed presents.

I chuckled, "It's by the stairs."

They ran quickly, not even taking the time to thank me, towards the stairs. I didn't really mind it though; I was merely making up my end of the deal. It wasn't as if I completely went out of my way to get something for them, but apparently not everyone appreciated their running like I did.

"Seriously, slow down," a voice rang out from a person that I couldn't see. I didn't need to see her for the voice alone to stop my laughing and to know that she wasn't truly annoyed.

My legs itched to run, my voice ready to excuse myself from the house, my jaw becoming set. Still, there was a large part of me that wanted to stay there, to see her at least for a second before I removed myself from her presence. I knew that Christine was watching me carefully, seeming to have noticed the stiffening of my body. _Because I need you_.

"Hey Christi—" she stopped mid word and step, her eyes falling on me. I pursed my lips, not certain as to whether or not I should smile, not certain as to whether or not I _could_ smile anymore. "I was just coming to tell you that I would be staying for dinner, if you don't mind," she finished, shifting her attention to Christine.

Christine nodded, her eyes traveling between Annabeth and me. "That'll be okay," she said, running her hands along the counter. "I'm going to make sure the boys don't mess up their room with whatever Percy brought," she sent me a jokingly mad look, before leaving the kitchen—leaving me alone with Annabeth.

"So, what did you bring my brothers?" Annabeth questioned, not letting a second of silence drop between us.

I scratched my head, noting her jeans and t-shirt; I smiled slightly, realizing that she looked a lot like the Annabeth that I had missed for so long. If only she were still that girl… "I promised them spy stuff and whatever on Christmas. So, I figured I should bring them it sometime. And well, yeah…"

She nodded, stuffing her hands into her jeans. "That's nice of you."

"I'm just keeping my end of the deal," I shortly amended, dismissing her compliment.

"Things were different at Christmas, weren't they?" she asked simply, leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen.

Now, even if I had wanted to, I couldn't leave the kitchen without passing Annabeth. Sure, I considered the fact that she might have done that on purpose, but I was almost certain that she didn't.

I nodded once, feeling my lips form a straight line. Things were definitely different. "Yeah, you could say that."

Her eyes wearily met mine as her fingers fidgeted with the end of her jeans. I knew that action; she only ever did it when she was uncomfortable, when her pride was close to gone. "They were easier."

"No," I said quickly, laughing without any humor at all, "they weren't. They were a lot harder because…" I felt the burn behind my eyes and willed it to subside; it wasn't sadness but anger at those memories, at the memories that tore into the happier ones in my mind two days before. "They were a lot harder because they're all tainted now."

She nodded once, and I expected her to talk, to say something, but she merely stood there watching me, her expression far from neutral. There was something there, yet I couldn't tell what.

"They're tainted now because everything that anyone has said was true. All of it was right," I gritted out, despising the fact that I even _needed_ to say it, that I even possibly thought any of it. But most of all, I despised it all because it was _true_. "You _used_ me, Annabeth," I shook my head, feeling my voice crack at the words. "All of those times I cared so much about you, but you just used that fact to your advantage. I would do _anything_ for you, and I did. I stood by you after every, single break up, but that was never enough for you, was it?" She said nothing, dropping her gaze from my mine as one foot ran over the other. I didn't need that; I didn't need to feel any ounce of sympathy towards her in spite of what I may have felt. For once, and for the last time, I just needed to get everything out so that we could have somewhere to start again. "Was it?"

"It was too much, Percy," she spoke softly, raising her head to meet my gaze. "I—I know you want me to explain it, but right now, I can't. I told you not to put your life on hold for me because I knew that you would. I knew that you would do anything for me, and I was trying to tell you that you shouldn't. But…" She trailed off, biting her lip again before she shook her head. "I promise that I'll tell you all of this, what it all meant, but I'm not ready now."

"You're never ready," I deadpanned, shaking my head as the burning behind my eyes only seemed to increase.

A sad smile covered her lips as she nodded once. "Just give me some time. I know I don't deserve it as this rate, but you know how hard this is for me—to admit that I was… wrong."

"You suck at it," I stated, forcing the corner of my lip not to rise in amusement, in any sign of happiness.

She narrowed her eyes while forcing a smile—she wanted to say something snarky; it was obvious. It was Annabeth, and it was her pride working in action. Instead her face contorted in almost pain before she finally disclosed, "I do."

"Congrats, one admittance out of the way. Was that so bad?" I asked with condescension, not the kind that she used when she was mad but the kind I knew only the old Annabeth could ever understand.

"It was really hard," she admitted with an airy chuckle, rolling the corner of her mouth between her teeth again. "I've missed us, Percy."

I raised an eyebrow, commanding the side of me that was ready to jump back into things not say anything. We had to start back slowly; we had to start at rock bottom if we ever wanted to get anywhere. "What do you mean?" I asked slowly, knowing that if I spoke any faster I risked myself saying something that I would regret.

"You know what I mean," she replied stubbornly, and the look I shot her portrayed all that I needed it to say—I didn't know what she meant; I needed to hear it from her lips alone. "Somewhere along the way, we got lost in translation, and I want to find us again."

"We've always been here," I explained, feeling that I was doing exactly what Annabeth said I did so often—grazing the surface.

She shook her head once, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "You've always been there Percy, but I haven't. I… I want us to be who we were before." Her voice paused once as a breath racked her body, "I want to be who _I_ was before."

"Before what?" I questioned, running my eyes over the Annabeth in front of me, wanting to remember this Annabeth for the rest of my life. I wanted to erase the previous one from the years before but merely keep this one as the strongest memory of them all, right next to the girl with the blocks.

Her eyes met mine, holding the gaze the entire time as the silence enveloped between us. I didn't know what she looked for, what she hoped to see. "Before I let things around me get to me," she stated, pursing her lips for a second. "I know it probably doesn't make sense, but it will eventually."

I nodded, thankful that the burn behind my eyes was close to being gone. "When's eventually?"

"Soon."

"It's never soon enough," I supplied with the most genuine slice of a smile that had crossed my face in months.

"Truer words have never been said," she humored, but the sincerity in her voice told me that she meant every word she said. "About what you said in the auditorium…" She trailed off as if expecting me to pardon her from having to say whatever she planned to say. I raised an eyebrow, evoking a sigh from her as she shifted her weight on the doorframe." I—I was thinking about it, and…" She bit her lip, dropping her eyes away from me.

"And what?" I prodded, hoping that Annabeth wouldn't let her pride get in the way at a moment like this.

"I needed to hear that," she explained, running a finger along the edge of the doorframe. "I really needed to hear that."

"I'd say you're welcome, but I think that'd be a bit much," I shot back, not with anger but in a way that only Annabeth could understand, only the Annabeth that had filled my thoughts before would understand.

"Thanks," she chuckled quickly, stopping it and a smile by biting her lip. "Tomorrow, I was planning on doing something after school, and I was wondering… if maybe you might want to help?"

I pushed my lips together in a line with slightly narrowed eyes, "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"It's something I could only do with you," she pleaded, her eyes telling me that this was something serious, that this was her attempting to make amends.

"As long as it's not the play," I shot back, knowing that Rachel and Calypso would be there too; I needed space from them, Calypso especially.

She chuckled lightly, pushing her flaxen hair behind her ears. "It's not the play, Percy."

I made a sound of no commitment, watching as she rolled her lips between her teeth. "So, what would I be agreeing to?" I glanced towards the clock in the corner, realizing the time, "I should go…"

She shrugged, nodding her head towards the door. Turning on my heels, I followed behind her as she made her way to the front door, "I'll walk you out." Her stride dropped a step so she came to be in line with me. We weren't walking close together like we did before, where our hands might brush against one another. Yet, we weren't so far apart that awkwardness could take its residence between us. We were somewhere in between, somewhere between the two extremes, and it just seemed to be the perfect place for where we remained at the time.

"So, what are suggesting we do tomorrow?" I asked, glancing towards her from the corner of my eye but only catching her curls as we were only steps away from the door.

"We're starting over again, making things right," she said evasively yet something about it seemed so detailed already.

I nodded, "I think I can do that." A smile, a pained smile, formed its way onto her lips as we stood before the door. There was nothing more for us to do; I merely needed to leave now. We may have said goodbye by kissing before, but now it would have been completely wrong. It would have merely been jumping back into the problems that we were attempting to evade; I could live with building slowly if it meant losing her came even slower. I could live with building slowly if meant having the _real_ Annabeth back, the old Annabeth, the one who was my best friend. "I'll see you tomorrow then," I said as she nodded in affirmation, and I placed my hand on the knob to turn the door open. Maybe I expected her to stop me; she didn't, and I was thankful because it meant we were on the same page. Things needed to end like this for now, without our lips brushing against one another if we ever wanted it to last. This was what starting at the rock bottom meant, I realized, as I swung the door open and walked into the cold.

"And Percy," I turned at the sound of her voice, meeting her softened expression as she stood leaning against the door, "it has always been you."

Something about that seemed so familiar, so right, yet I just couldn't place where the tug of recognition was coming from, why it even existed. Yet, that didn't mean it stopped the corner of lip from tugging up into the narrowest of smiles. "It has always been you, too." And saying that, something about it felt like I was saying it all over again. But maybe that was because it was true, it had always been her too, and we were just starting almost anew. "But not _this_ you." And that, that was true too.

And then, then she said the one thing I never expected her to say, that I knew were two of the hardest words for her utter.

"I'm sorry."

I didn't turn around; I knew she didn't want me to do so. So I merely let the wind choose whether or not my departing words reached her, "I know, but sometimes it's too late for just a sorry to fix things."

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><p><strong>AN: Hm, Percy is being honest it seems. Anyways, I would have like to have posted this earlier this week, but last week I was finishing up a one shot for Percy and Annabeth. (It was going to be a Valentine's Day one shot, but I chose to take some naps instead. Nevertheless, it did get up two days later, minus a Valentine's Day moment.) So, I apologize for not getting this up sooner as I would have liked.<strong>

**Welp, what did y'all think of this chapter? I do hope that you guys liked it, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it as well as any suggestions that you guys might have; they're always welcome, and I will certainly use them if they fit into the story.**

**Until next time,**

**~Jam.**

**26 RAK**

**xx**

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><p><em>Anonymous Review Replies + PMs Disabled<em>

_[PM DISABLED]_

_Shannononom – AH, I hope you don't go insane and thank you very much._

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><p><em>[Anonymous Review Replies]<em>

_Paylor123 – Hah, I'm certain that it is quite possible. Aw, wow, thank you. Yes, yes, I do like rebuilding; I certainly do._

_Outsider – Hm, how did you see Percy as being more stubborn than Annabeth? I'm curious. As well, I didn't see Percy as being too prideful, so I would love to know your expanded thoughts on that. Well, I do think, actually I _know_,, that Percy attempted to mediate with Annabeth since he went there to talk to her about fixing things. So, I really would love to know more about what you're saying so as to adequately reply because I really feeling like I'm not replying well to your review since I'm not certain as to whether or not we're on the same page in regards to what you mean._

_Charline – Well, first is first, thank you. So, I will now say that I've had this chapter [the one I have just posted now] written since the previous was posted. It has only been revised—with certain aspects added, into the chapter. I figure I should address this part first; I have a reason for their arguments. Honestly, I've been in such a similar situation where arguments continually occur because things don't come out. It happens; it truly does, and after a certain point, you start to hate each other. It's a hate that only best friends can have for each other, but it ends. It ends once it all comes out or enough of it comes out, from both sides. Sometimes, it's the friendship that ends because it never comes out. Quite often, it takes a while for that to happen, especially when both sides are stubborn. I would know. Believe me, I would know. I had no plan for them to argue about the same thing throughout the rest of the story; in fact, I planned for something else with multiple things up my sleeves. You have to remember that this story goes day by day. After one day, if things aren't completely out in the open, they're not going to just fix things. They will still disagree over it because the feelings are still fresh. It's either that or they choose to forget about it. They tried to push it away, take Day 11 and 12 for example, but it still just came up later. This was later—this was putting almost everything on the table; it was bringing up the fact that at the rate they were going, their friendship was far from functional._

_Additionally, I have to say that developing a character through their point of view only obviously means that we won't specifically know everything about a character. There have been hints to the fact that _something _happened to Annabeth to change things with her. Since Percy doesn't know what's going on with her, there's no possible way for us to know either. Honestly, I have no plans to use Annabeth's POV because that would defeat the purpose. Like Annabeth said in this latest chapter, things will be explained. I had no plans to leave Annabeth as not being explained. She will be; there was just no _reason_ for her to choose to divulge her problems/weaknesses at the previous moments—she's too prideful for that. As well, I'm curious as to why you say Percy is too stubborn. I would love some expansion on that. In terms of Percy always having the solution—he has attempted multiple times to try to fix things, but as thelostrelic pointed out, Annabeth turns things on Percy whenever such arguments arise. I'm glad you took the time to explain what you were, thinking, though._

_Zozo – Since I don't think I can explain it as well as I did before, I shall pull out a couple of quotes here too from that. "You have to remember that this story goes day by day. After one day, if things aren't completely out in the open, they're not going to just fix things. They will still disagree over it because the feelings are still fresh. It's either that or they choose to forget about it. They tried to push it away, take Day 11 and 12 for example, but it still just came up later. This was later—this was putting almost everything on the table; it was bringing up the fact that at the rate they were going, their friendship was far from functional." As well, how did you see Percy's pride as being too high? The same goes for how did you see Percy as always causing the problems? Is it because this is Percy's POV, and he basically has blamed himself for having caused everything? It doesn't necessarily mean that he _did_ cause _all _the problems. I realize they didn't argue like this in PJO, but they also never had real arguments over anything extremely significant.. Aha, thank you and if you happen to like this latest chapter better, I will say that I have had it written since posting the latest one._

_Guest – hope this is soon enough :)_

_Guest (sexual tension) – Hah, I'm glad that I was able to achieve that, then._

_Daddysdingo – Aw, I'm sorry that I made you cry :/ I'm glad that either way you'll continue to read. That means a lot to me. As well, only Percy knows what will happen come the end. That was his plan, though. :)_

_Guest – thank you!_

_Em – Aw, thank you so much. Hah, I do love percabeth. Wow, that must have been a nice dream. Too bad it wasn't reality. Dumb alarm clock. Ahah, I didn't mind the length at all, and thank you, I hope to keep it up._

_Guest – it has been doneeee._

_B – Well, Percy did tell them that they needed to take a break. I'm sorry that you're so close to crying. Really, I'm sorry about that. :/ I hope the wait wasn't too bad._

_Guest (any smart person) – Hah, thank you. I can say that I have absolutely no plans for Annabeth's POV. It does appear that the general consensus believes Annabeth likes Percy._


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